Domestic workers in India’s New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) have joined a growing wave of labor protests on April 14, staging strikes across residential areas just days after industrial workers took to the streets on Monday, demanding higher wages and better work conditions.
Hundreds of domestic workers gathered outside Cleo County in Sector 121 on Tuesday, calling for pay increases and better working conditions. The protest action was spontaneous, sparked by videos of the previous day’s factory worker demonstrations circulating on social media.
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“We were talking about the videos we saw from yesterday’s protest… then we realised that none of our wages had risen in the last few years either,” said Archana, one of the domestic workers.
Participants said they were shocked to learn that minimum wages for factory workers are set by the government, questioning why domestic workers are excluded from similar protections. “We saw that the government has set ₹700 per day as the limit. Why don’t we come under that rule?” said another protester, Rekha.
Most of the workers said they earn around ₹3,000 per household for cooking and cleaning, despite working across multiple homes. Many come from nearby Garhi Chowkhandi, with an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 women employed in the residential complex’s 26 towers.
When workers requested a salary increase of about ₹1,000, they said some employers threatened to bar them from entering the society. “They told us they’ll stop our entry if we act difficult,” Archana said, adding that the threat triggered the protest.
Workers highlighted stark inequalities, noting that residents in the complex earn between ₹300,000 and ₹400,000 per month. “Why is it such a big problem when we ask for a small increase?” Rekha said.
Rising living costs have further intensified the pressure. Workers reported rent increases of ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 and sharp spikes in basic expenses, including cooking gas. “I had to buy an LPG cylinder for ₹4,000… how are we supposed to survive when everything is expensive but our wages remain the same?” Archana said.
The protest continued for several hours, with some workers saying they would refuse to return to work until their demands are met.
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Others accused police of using force to disperse the crowd, including allegations of a lathicharge, a method of crowd control by police. One protester claimed she was injured when officers tried to remove her from the area.
