India:
A Wave of Strikes and Protests

May 4, 2026

This article is translated from the April 25 issue #1370 of Combat Ouvrier (Workers Fight), the paper of the Trotskyist group of that name active in Guadeloupe and Martinique, two islands that are French overseas departments in the Caribbean.

A wave of strikes and workers’ demonstrations across India has taken place since January. It began with demonstrations by construction, oil, and steel workers, and then spread to other sectors.

Workers demand higher wages, a reduction in standard work hours to eight hours per day, and overtime pay. Protesters denounce appalling working conditions. Workers are forced to work up to 16 hours a day for a pittance. It is impossible to survive on their wages. The situation has worsened with the rising cost of living caused by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices and consequently food prices skyrocketed in just a few weeks. Some workers even deserted the factories to return to their villages. Their wages were too low to sustain them.

Protests intensified in parts of northern states Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where factory workers blocked roads and clashed with police. Haryana promised on April 9 to increase the minimum wage by 35%. This raises so-called unskilled workers’ monthly pay to just under $160.

In the Sarai Khawaja district of Haryana, auto parts factory workers protested on April 14 and 15, demanding the new minimum wage immediately. The day before, approximately 42,000 workers protested at 83 industrial sites in nearby Noida. These protests forced the government to increase wages by over a fifth, with back pay effective April 1.

Unions believe these increases are not enough. They demand a minimum monthly wage around $316 (30,000 rupees). They planned big May Day demonstrations.

In India, as elsewhere, when prices rise, wages must follow. Workers will need to build enough leverage to force this reform on employers.