Muzaffarnagar , Asserting that he stands firmly with the workers, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday appealed them to recall how the ‘double-engine’ government stood by them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adityanath remarks comes amid protests by factory works in Noida demanding a salary hike turned violent.
He also asked them to “be wary of those who incite unrest, do not let them succeed”.
Adityanath was in Muzaffarnagar to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 423 projects worth over ₹951 crore.
Addressing the public, the chief minister said, “I appeal to all the personnel employed in industrial units, as well as to the workers working with them to recall how this ‘double-engine’ government stood by your side, something which you witnessed firsthand during the COVID-19 period.”
Unbothered by the risks, the government made its vehicles available for transportation of working personnel, he said, adding that arrangements were also made to accommodate them in quarantine centres.
The chief minister claimed that this is the same state where, before 2017, new industries were never established. Instead, the existing ones invariably faced lockouts.
Daughters were not safe. Businessmen were not safe. Be it Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, or Moradabad.
“An identity crisis loomed over us all. Today, however, that crisis of identity no longer exists,” he said.
“And for this very reason, I would like to urge you to be wary of those who seek to spread industrial unrest. I also appeal to all entrepreneurs in this regard that they should engage in direct dialogue with their workers and personnel,” the chief minister said.
The government stands firmly with the workers and will provide security to the entrepreneur while simultaneously offering protection to every single worker, he said.
Apparently referring to the Uttar Pradesh Outsourcing Service Corporation, Adityanath said that a corporation was constituted last year, whose recommendations are set to be implemented this very month.
Under this framework, there will be a guarantee of a minimum honorarium. The specific amount guaranteed by the government will be deposited directly into their bank accounts; no intermediary will be able to usurp what is rightfully theirs, Adityanath said.
“We do not intend to limit the implementation of this initiative solely to government buildings and departments. As a subsequent step, we aim to extend this framework to every industrial establishment as well, to provide social security to every single worker,” Adityanath said.
The chief minister’s remarks came following unrest in Noida where protests by factory workers demanding a salary hike turned violent in several areas, including Phase-2, Sector 60, Sector 62 and Sector 84 on Monday.
Workers from multiple industrial units gathered to press for long-pending wage revision demands, but the demonstrations escalated into incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism, with vehicles set ablaze and property damaged.
Police said heavy deployment has been made across industrial zones under the Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate, and senior officials are monitoring the situation on the ground.
Authorities maintained that the situation is under control and efforts are underway to restore normalcy, while urging people not to pay heed to rumours.
The district administration had earlier held meetings with factory owners and stakeholders to address workers’ concerns and announced measures including double overtime wages, weekly offs and bonuses as per rules.
According to an official statement in Lucknow on Sunday evening, the UP government had announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening labour welfare, including mandatory double overtime pay, timely wages for workers in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
Under the directives of Adityanath, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has implemented strict rules for industrial units, positioning the district as a model for labour reforms in the state, it said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
