Traffic chaos during the BJP’s demonstration over the women’s reservation bill in Mumbai's Worli area prompted an irate woman to confront Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan, blaming him for the snarls. The incident occurred on Tuesday (April 21
Outgoing Apple, Inc. CEO Tim Cook oversaw a period where the company sank far deeper roots in the Indian market than had been done in the decades prior. Most notably, he presided over the firm’s supply chain expansion, during which it set up iPhone assembly operations in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
West Bengal polls: Polling for the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes on May 4. West Medinipur: Union Home Minister on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister
The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) is likely to announce the results for the Class 10 (Matric) and Class 12 (Intermediate) board examinations for the 2025–2026 academic session. According to board officials and reports, the JAC Board has completed the process of preparing the Jharkhand 10th
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice on a public interest litigation challenging the validity of the 2008 National Investigation Agency Act, Live Law reported. The Act set up the National Investigation Agency in 2008 and contains a list of scheduled offences that it has the power to
Woman gives 5 reasons she’ll never return to a corporate job even with 2x salaryA Dubai-based woman has explained why she will never return to a corporate job, even if her pay were to be doubled. Updated on: Apr 22, 2026 11:45 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link A Dubai-based woman has
Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel, who effected a stunning stumping of Kolkata Knight Riders batter Cameron Green in the IPL on Sunday (April 19, 2026), said he was grateful to be working with the legendary Sri Lankan gloveman Kumar Sangakkara.Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel
The Congress said that Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to West Bengal on Thursday to campaign for the Assembly elections had to be cancelled after the administration allegedly denied permission, The Telegraph reported. Gandhi was to address a rally in Kolkata and another in Serampore
The workers who keep India’s cities running have a simple message – pay us living wages
The protests by workers across Indian cities through early April are an urgent signal that survival is impossible on wages that hover around the bare legal minimum.
Domestic, gig and delivery workers to industrial labourers in the Delhi-National Capital Region protested demanding an increase in wages and overtime pay. Most of them are often migrant workers to India’s urban centres.
The spark was the increase in basic expenses following the shortage of cooking gas and economic uncertainty after the US-Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February, setting off a conflict which is now closing in on two months.
In Noida, protesting workers told the Indian Express that their monthly salaries ranged from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000 but expenses had increased, with rent costing Rs 5,000 and food Rs 4,000, and nothing to save. One factory worker in Noida told a news publication that his employer hiked his monthly pay by Rs 39. Worse still, workers report deductions as punishment for protesting and their wage demands were met with batons.
Across urban India, the numbers tell the same story.
Domestic workers manage to earn anywhere between Rs 7,000 - Rs 12,000 a month by working in multiple homes, with no leave or social security in the National Capital Region, says a report in the Hindustan Times. Security guards working at Delhi’s leading hospitals earned between Rs 10,000- Rs 13,000 a month for 12-hour shifts, according to a report in Hans India.
In upscale malls and fast-fashion outlets, retail workers start out by earning Rs 9,000- Rs 13,000, with sales targets that stretch their workday without pay. Delivery and warehouse workers, who form the backbone of “quick commerce”, report earning between Rs 14,000-Rs 18,000 after 10-12 hours of work. Anecdotal evidence suggests that private drivers in NCR average around Rs 15,000-Rs 22,000.
These earnings fall short of the living-wage estimate of Rs 23,086 per month in Delhi-NCR in 2025 by the Anker Research Institute, a nonprofit that researches benchmarks for wages across countries.
At the same time, India’s national floor level minimum wage was last revised in 2017 to Rs 178 a day, which amounts to less than Rs 5,500 per month. The Centre sets the national floor wage as a benchmark to guide states in setting their own minimum wages. Without revisions to reflect increasing costs and inflation, the low minimum wage has practically legalised poor pay and enabled a race to the bottom.
Aajeevika’s study, carried out between July 2024 and February 2026 in Ahmedabad, shows how low wages are inadequate to sustain a dignified life. The current wage frameworks assume that workers and their dependents form a single household in one location. However, migrants’ realities are “bilocal”: their wages must sustain their life in the city while remittances are essential to support their native villages and homes.
Strained incomes have unsurprising consequences: debt, unhygienic and cramped living conditions and compromising on healthcare and education, which results in children being pulled into work.
The workers’ protests also erupted months after the Centre’s four labour codes came into effect in November 2025. The government has said the four new codes modernise and consolidate India’s labour and worker-related laws. But workers’ rights organisations have warned of a dilution in labour protection and rights.
The same month, amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Factories Act were enforced which allowed the government to extend the workday to 12 hours and raise quarterly overtime limits from 75 to 144 hours. The NCR’s Noida industrial hub comes under the jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh.
In response to the protests, state governments have marginally revised wages. Uttar Pradesh raised wages for unskilled workers to Rs 13,690, Haryana to Rs 15,221. Both are far below conservative living-wage benchmarks and well short of the Rs 26,000 long demanded by unions. These wage revisions also come after years of inflation, and it is unlikely that they are enough to meet current expenses.
It might seem profitable to keep wages low, but it is a liability. It sparks frustration and unhappiness among workers, leads to their exit and drives up costs through recruitment and training expenses while lowering service quality.
Stable wages guarantee dignity and lower attrition, while fixed hours reduce errors and fatigue. Predictable hours will reduce defects and returns. Workers who can afford transport show up on time. Those who can eat and sleep well sell better, drive safer, and stay. Paying fair wages is far from a charitable act. Corporations must weigh the costs of increasing wages or grappling with the costs of lost output and other losses.
Faced with labour unrest and the increasing cost of living in expenses in the midst of global economic turmoil, the government must reframe minimum wages to living wages. It must notify a time-bound roadmap to reach city-wise, Anker living-wage benchmarks with annual increases based on inflation. The national floor level minimum wage must also be revised urgently.
Enforcement often becomes the main failure. Here, governments must cap the workday at eight hours, ensure overtime is voluntary and paid at double rates, bring about digital muster rolls and wage slips. Non-payment of wages must become a cognisable offence, which means police can begin investigations and make arrests as the relevant laws.
Wages must also be accompanied by social security nets. Welfare benefits like insurance and provident fund should be portable across states and employers.
Grievance systems should work on the ground: district wage-facilitation cells with a 30-day disposal rule, protection against retaliation, dialogue before detention, and quarterly compliance disclosure. The state must also stop underwriting low wages through its own contracts, by demanding, for instance, Rs 20,000 but paying Rs 13,000 in its tenders.
The workers’ anger is grounded in the desperation of surviving from day to day. Their demands for a minimum of Rs 20,000 per month and overtime are modest given the cost of living in the capital of India.
From factory and industry workers to the labourers who deliver food and groceries and clean homes, it is their sweat and effort that is central to making Indian cities what they are today.
Rajiv Khandelwal is the co-founder and Director of Aajeevika Bureau, a workers’ rights and services organisation supporting migrant and informal workers everywhere.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: Why domestic gig workers in India are unhappy despite the better pay Indian migrant workers hit by cooking gas shortages are leaving cities How will I pay workers Starbucks to pay NYC workers $35m after alleged labour law violations Is freelancing or running side business legal for H-1B workers while working in US Low maintenance black and white printers that keep running without hassle No-flame kitchens keep restaurants running 7 simple tips to keep your lips soft and healthy At 57, Akshay Kumar Reveals The Simple Lifestyle Habits That Keep Him Fit 6 simple houseplant hacks that keep your plants thriving
Shah Rukh Khan stayed calm amid fan frenzy during visit to Ajmer dargah, reveals bodyguardBodyguard Yusuf Ibrahim revealed that he had accompanied Shah Rukh Khan to the Ajmer dargah on a Friday, but the visit quickly turned chaotic. Apr 22, 2026
2 minutes ago
Karnataka recently rolled out a draft policy to alter the taxation structure on liquor sold in the state. The policy proposed taxing liquor based on the actual volume of alcohol present in it — or the Alcohol-in-Beverage taxation system, a popular practice in western countries
2 minutes ago
Inherited peripheral neuropathies (IPN) are cruel genetic diseases that affect around 1 in 2,500 individuals. A person affected by IPN develops high foot arches, curled toes, thin calves, and walks awkwardly or trips. Their fingers may become clawed and, because they lose sensation
2 minutes ago
Kedarnath Dham portals open today, CM Dhami offers prayersChar Dham Yatra began on April 19, with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines in Uttarakhand on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya Published on: Apr 22, 2026 1:33 PM IST By HT Correspondent
2 minutes ago
No, ICSE Class 10 Result 2026 will not be declared today, April 22, despite the false claim floating on social media platforms. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) told Times of India (TOI) dismissed the rumour and said that the board has not made any announcement
2 minutes ago
Kevin Warsh has clashed with Democratic senators during a fiery confirmation hearing to decide whether he should be installed as Federal Reserve chairman. From suggestions that he would be President Donald Trump's "sock puppet" to questions over his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein
2 minutes ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Panasonic ACs are trending this summer! Grab top deals with up to 30% discountPanasonic ACs are becoming a top choice this summer. Check out the latest deals, key features
2 minutes ago
A Mumbai woman has gone viral after angrily confronting Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan over a massive traffic jam allegedly caused by a political rally in Worli, with many on social media calling her the voice of ordinary commuters. The clip, shared by X user Prashant Dhumal
2 minutes ago
IIT Kharagpur professor invites students to his birthday party, internet enviousAn IIT Kharagpur student left the internet surprised—and a little envious—after sharing a video of a professor’s birthday celebration with his class. Updated on: Apr 22
2 minutes ago
The Iran war has caused a significant drop in global oil demand, with consumption plummeting due to supply disruptions and record-high fuel prices. While this short-term destruction accelerates the shift to EVs and biofuels, the conflict's longer-term impact may paradoxically boost oil demand
2 minutes ago
Global oil prices edged lower in Asia on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he would extend a ceasefire with Iran until peace talks between the two countries have progressed. He added that the US will continue to blockade Iran's ports until Tehran presents a "unified proposal"
2 minutes ago
Abhishek Sharma smashed an explosive century on Tuesday. He scored an unbeaten 135 runs from 68 balls. This helped Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Delhi Capitals by 47 runs in the Indian Premier League. Sharma's performance was the fifth-highest individual score in the tournament's history
2 minutes ago
One year after the terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025, which claimed 26 lives in a targeted assault on civilians, the meadows of Kashmir seem to have begun their slow healing with a return to tourism. Yet for the families left behind, time has not healed in the way society often expects
2 minutes ago
At least 13 people have been killed in an explosion at a firecracker factory in India's southern state of Kerala, officials say. The incident took place in Thrissur, where around 40 people were believed to be assembling firecrackers in a cluster of sheds for an upcoming festival
2 minutes ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Stay safe and protected this summer with these SPF-infused skin and hair productsKeep your skin and hair protected with these SPF-infused products. Published on: Apr 22
2 minutes ago
David Wilcock death rumors: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna sounds the alarm about dead, missing US scientists, ‘Something is up’Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has sounded the alarm about an increasing number of missing and dead scientists amid rumors that David Wilcock has died by suicide. Updated on: Apr 22
2 minutes ago
The protests by workers across Indian cities through early April are an urgent signal that survival is impossible on wages that hover around the bare legal minimum. Domestic, gig and delivery workers to industrial labourers in the Delhi-National Capital Region protested demanding an increase in
2 minutes ago
Walk into most classrooms today, and you will find students who can define empathy, write about conflict, and explain decision-making. But ask them to navigate a difficult conversation, respond to peer pressure, or articulate what they feel; the confidence disappears
2 minutes ago
V. Muthuraja returns to contest Pudukkottai seat for DMK in 2026 Tamil Nadu electionsV. Muthuraja, a key DMK politician from Tamil Nadu, won the Pudukkottai seat in 2021 with 85,802 votes, aims to defend his position in the 2026 elections. Published on: Apr 22
2 minutes ago
Learn how to search your name in the voter list 2026, verify details in the electoral roll, and download your Voter ID card online via NVSP and ECI portals. Step-by-step guide with direct links and troubleshooting tips. With Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal approaching
2 minutes ago
Nineteen hundred exhibitors from Italy and around the world. 700 designers, all under the age of 35. Over 169,000 sq.m. of exhibition. The numbers give a sense of the scale of this year’s Salone del Mobile.Milano, the landmark European furniture and interiors design trade fair that attracts a
2 minutes ago
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has cancelled a presidential trip to the southern African nation of Eswatini, accusing Beijing of putting pressure on other countries to bar his aircraft from flying over their territories. Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked Lai's overflight permits after
2 minutes ago
International benchmark Brent crude futures traded at $99.29 per barrel, up 0.82 per cent, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 1.15 per cent to $90.71. Mumbai: Global crude oil prices edged higher to nearly $100 a barrel on Wednesday as traders and investors analysed the outlook for US-Iran
2 minutes ago
A notorious North Korean hacking group is likely behind the theft of nearly $300 million in cryptocurrency over the weekend, an affected party has said, in the biggest known crypto heist this year.It is the latest such incident linked to North Korea
2 minutes ago
Diet Coke has become an unexpected casualty of supply chain disruptions linked to the ongoing tensions involving Iran, with several Indian cities witnessing stock-outs of the popular sugar-free beverage due to a severe shortage of aluminium cans. The crunch has also affected other canned drinks
2 minutes ago
April 22 Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on April 22, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Published on: Apr 22, 2026 11:00 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on April 22
2 minutes ago
The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) is expected to announce the Assam HS Result 2026 for Class 12 students in the coming days. Officials are likely to confirm the exact date and time of the result declaration soon. Once the results are released
2 minutes ago
