Domestic workers protest outside Noida society over wages

Domestic workers protested in Noida for wage hikes, facing police dispersal. They demand better pay amid rising living costs and alleged mistreatment.

As the industrial workers’ wage hike protests continued for another day, domestic workers who work at Cleo County in Sector 121, Noida, on Tuesday, staged a protests outside the society, demanding a salary hike for household work.

The protest began early in the morning. (Sunil Ghosh/HT)

The protest beganearly in the morning. Domestic workers gathered around Gate No. 2 of the society but they were largely dispersed by the police at around 3pm.

Videos of the protest circulated widely on social media showed the group, made up largely of women workers, outside the society. The protest began around 10 am, when protesters gathered outside Cleo County society, blocking the gate. There were also reports of stone pelting, and videos circulating on social media appeared to show protesters attacking a bus.

The management of Cleo County declined to comment however said there was no property damage to the society and that police were called immediately. Police said that force was deployed to disperse the crowd.

The management of Cleo County declined to comment, saying that the matter was being handled by the police.

A statement released by Noida police said, “An adequate police force and senior officers have been deployed at various locations to maintain law and order. At Cleo County in Sector 121, near Garhi Chaukhandi, where domestic workers staged a protest demanding a wage hike, the situation remains completely peaceful.”

Several domestic workers whom HT spoke to said they are paid as little as ₹2,500– ₹3,000 per household every month, despite working up to three hours per home. They demanded a minimum increase of ₹1,000– ₹1,500 per household.

Domestic workers in the society are hired directly by individual households, with their contacts being shared by one resident to another. To be sure, there is no cohesive mechanism to address the demands of workers in the unorganised sector. Most domestic workers operate without formal contracts or social security, with wages typically decided informally by residents within the society. This lack of standardisation is why domestic workers gathered outside the society, demanding a uniform salary hike across all households.

Some of those gathered also included workers hired by the society’s management team who claimed they had been laid off after seeking a pay raise after April 1, when the salary hike was due to be implemented, workers began demanding higher wages.

Saurabh (single name), 22, said, “I was working here for four years. I earned ₹10,000 a month, and up to ₹12,000 with overtime. The moment I asked for a raise, I was told not to report to duty,” he said.

Domestic workers said stagnant wages and rising living costs have made it difficult to sustain themselves. Many live nearby in Garhi Chaukhandi, where they say rents have risen sharply.

“In eight years, I have not received a single raise,” said Babli (single name), 22. “We earn between ₹7,000 and ₹12,000 a month. For one house, we work about three hours and are paid ₹2,500. Is that fair?”

She further added, “Rent has increased from ₹2,500 to ₹7,000. We are five people in the family. Both of us work, and we have children to educate. How can we manage?”

Domestic workers protesting also alleged mistreatment by the residents and the society’s management team.

“When we try to leave work due to low pay, some threaten us with false theft complaints,” said Sheila, another protester.

Khushboo (single name), 20, alleged that, “When I tried to leave one of the households as I was not getting paid, I was prevented from leaving and they didn’t pay me my salary for that month.”

When HT reached out for a response from the management, they refused to comment on the matter.

Protesters maintained that the gathering was largely peaceful but alleged that police used force to disperse them. Some claimed that around 25–30 people were lathi-charged and at least 15 were detained. A few also alleged that protestors were taken to a nearby hospital due to injuries following the incident.

DCP Shavya Goyal was contacted multiple times by HT for comment but no response was received by the time of going to print.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (central Noida) Shavya Goyal said, “During this time, some women who work in households raised demands for a wage increase. These women are not factory workers. Police personnel were deployed at the site to maintain order.”

Eyewitnesses also claimed they were caught in the police action. Sagar (single name), a bystander, said, “I was dropping my sister off at work and saw the tension between protesters and police. I tried to leave, but I was lathi-charged. I kept telling them I was not involved.”

Simran (single name), 26, who has lived in Cleo County for eight years, said, “After hearing their demands, I do feel a little ashamed living here.”

However, DCP Goyal denied any such claims and said that adequate force was used to ensure law and order.