Haridwar witnessed a significant labour protest on Friday as employees of a major pharmaceutical company in the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) area went on strike and held a sit-in demonstration. The workers alleged discrepancies in salary payments and raised other employment-related grievances. Similar protests were also reported at two electrical manufacturing units, where production was disrupted, according to officials.
Background of Labour Unrest
The protests are the latest in a series of labour disputes in the industrial belt over the past few weeks. Workers at several factories have previously staged demonstrations over demands related to wages and working conditions. Officials noted that police cases had been registered against workers of two industrial units in connection with strike-related incidents earlier.
Administration's Response
The district administration has appealed to both management and employees to maintain peace and resolve disputes through dialogue and mutual discussion. SP City Abhay Singh stated, “Police force has been deployed in SIDCUL to maintain law and order, and we are trying to pacify the situation through interaction with workers. We have requested them not to violate the law.”
District Magistrate Mayur Dixit addressed the issue, saying most demands were related to wages and salary hikes, which fall under company management’s purview. “We have asked the management to resolve all valid demands of the workers and initiate dialogue with them regarding the salary hike. We have also taken action against rumour-mongers and requested workers to approach the labour department with their demands if management does not address them. Action will be taken according to law to solve their problems,” Dixit told TOI.
Workers' Grievances
Agitators expressed dissatisfaction with wages, working conditions at the units, and rising living costs. Vikas Kumar, a worker, said, “The salary of skilled workers should be hiked in line with inflation. It is difficult to live on rent with a low salary in Haridwar while companies increase their revenue by hiking product prices.”
