Diwali bonus rumour sparks protest by 300 workers at Greater Noida factory

Ecotech-1 area on Wednesday morning over confusion surrounding the payment of Diwali bonuses. The protest, which began around 8 am, was called off after police and labour department officials intervened.

Additional labour commissioner Rakesh Dwivedi said the unrest was triggered by a message circulating among workers at the Oppo factory claiming that Supreme Court had directed all govt departments and private companies to pay employees their salaries along with a Diwali bonus of Rs 51,000 by Nov 5.

Dwivedi said the message was fake and prompted a large number of workers to gather inside the company’s campus.

“We spoke to the workers and explained that the message was false. However, confusion arose over the eligibility criteria for receiving the bonus. Employees who were eligible under the applicable rules were to receive the sum. However, some workers who had joined the company in recent months realised that they would not be eligible and began to protest,” Dwivedi told TOI.

Deepak Yadav, a factory worker, said the protest was triggered by concerns that they would not receive a bonus. “A protest broke out as workers thought they would not receive a bonus. After officials explained the situation to us, we returned to work. There is no issue now,” he said.

Another worker said there was confusion as some workers were unaware of the eligibility rules.

A statement issued by police said confusion over the bonus had led to unrest among workers. “All workers have returned to their respective duties, and law and order has been restored,” it read.

Oppo did not respond to requests for comment at the time of filing this report.

The protests came months after hundreds of factory workers from around 12 different companies in Hosiery Complex in Phase-2 staged a protest in April, demanding increased compensation. The protest was triggered after the Haryana govt issued a notification raising minimum wage compensation by 35% for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers, effective from April 1, 2026. Workers in Noida feared being left behind, with unskilled workers earning around Rs 435 a day against Haryana’s revised Rs 585. There was widespread arson, vandalism and clashes on April 13 as thousands of workers took to the streets across the city’s industrial belt, with workers demanding a minimum monthly wage of around Rs 20,000, payment of double wages for overtime, weekly offs, timely salaries, bonuses and better workplace conditions.

Violence was reported in Phase 2, particularly near Motherson, and in Sector 60. Protesters allegedly torched vehicles, vandalised factories and pelted stones at police. At least seven FIRs were registered, and more than 350 people were arrested in the crackdown that followed. Police also alleged that outsiders had instigated violence.

Labour activists Rupesh Roy and Manisha Chauhan were arrested. Police also invoked the National Security Act against Mazdoor Bigul Dasta members Satyam Verma and DU student Aakriti Choudhary in May over their alleged role in the violence.