Rights Body Seeks Release of Those Arrested for Noida Workers Protest
According to a release by Jan Hastakshep convenor Vikas Bajpai and co-convenor Anil Dubey, the police, management, and administration were responsible for the alleged "repression" of the workers
New Delhi: Condemning the alleged brutal police repression on the workers' movement in Noida, a democratic rights organisation on Tuesday demanded the release of all arrested workers and activists. The organisation also called for action against those responsible for forcing the workers to go into the agitation over wage-related demands.
According to a release by Jan Hastakshep convenor Vikas Bajpai and co-convenor Anil Dubey, the police, management, and administration were responsible for the alleged "repression" of the workers.
The organisation demanded immediate implementation of the increased minimum wage and initiation of the process to raise the minimum wage to a living wage at the earliest.
After reports of alleged police repression and "mass arrests" of workers in Noida, the organisation sent a fact-finding team on April 24, which spoke to some affected workers and shopkeepers and gathered detailed information, the statement said.
The team attempted to contact the district administration and police officials as well, but could not, the statement said.
The team found that workers' discontent had been building for years due to company owners allegedly paying wages even below the minimum wages declared by governments, it said.
"At the same time, skyrocketing inflation and the steep rise in gas prices broke the workers' patience. Increase in minimum wages in Haryana but refusal to increase wages in Noida also fuelled the fire," it said.
