Noida: A day after violent protests by industrial workers demanding higher minimum wages rocked Noida, a group of domestic helpers gathered near a housing society in Sector 121 on Tuesday, demanding better pay and compulsory weekly offs, citing rising costs of gas, ration and room rent.Among the protesters were several domestic helpers who live in the nearby Garhi Chaukhandi village. They gathered near the gate of the highrise early Tuesday morning and refused to enter until their demand for a wage hike was implemented. Stone pelting on police vehicles and vandalism were also reported from the area. The situation was brought under control by police on the spot, who claimed the involvement of “miscreants”.Some workers in the crowd admitted they were unclear about the protest or how much their wages should be, but joined the protest regardless. “I’m not sure how much I should charge. But I’ll go by what others demand,” said Rohini, who started working at the highrise just days ago at Rs 4,500 a month for regular chores, like sweeping and mopping.While there are no standardised rates for domestic help in Noida, which has a largely disorganised domestic workforce, wages are determined by mutual agreement between employers and helpers. In some highrises, RWAs fix rates based on the flat’s square footage or family size. The prevailing rates for various domestic tasks vary from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 for part-time daily chores and Rs 8,000 to Rs 13,000 for full-time work of eight to 10 hours.The protesters are demanding that part-time rates for sweeping and mopping services, which currently range between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,500, be raised to Rs 4,000-5,000, along with four weekly offs a month. Cooking and full-time helper charges, which presently range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000 depending on hours clocked, were also demanded to be revised upward.Ramnali, who works in four houses in the highrise earning Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per household for sweeping and mopping, said she pays Rs 4,000 in monthly rent and supports a family of six. “The 1 kg gas cylinder, which I got earlier for Rs 100, is now available at Rs 500 per kg. Flour is Rs 380 per 5 kg, oil is Rs 185 per litre. I can’t afford to run my house on this income,” she said, demanding Rs 4,000 per household and four weekly offs “just like in the factories and companies”.Saroj, who has worked in five houses at the highrise for five years, earning Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per household, said her Rs 6,000 monthly rent has pushed her to cook on firewood because she cannot afford gas. Lali, employed for seven hours daily to dry and iron clothes and tend to a pet, earns Rs 7,500 a month and wants it raised to Rs 10,000–11,000. “People earn lakhs in big highrises, and yet they cannot spare a few thousand for a seven-hour job,” she said.Another pointed out that on-demand, app-based domestic help platforms such as Snabbit and Urban Company offer helpers a monthly income of Rs 20,000-25,000, though earnings vary with the number of bookings, hours logged and days worked.Following Tuesday’s protest, FONRWA president Yogendra Sharma, who represents over 120 RWAs across Noida, called for dialogue between the administration and labour leaders while condemning the violence. “The welfare of workers is paramount, and their grievances must be resolved through dialogue. However, acts of vandalism, road blockades, and arson serve the interests of no society,” he said.
