3-km traffic jam on Mhow–Neemuch highway:Workers protest in Pithampur over no salary hike, trucks and buses stranded

Employees of Motherson Company (Unit-2) in the industrial area of Pithampur stopped work and staged a protest on Monday. Hundreds of workers, upset over low wages and lack of facilities, came out on the streets and blocked the Mhow–Neemuch road. This led to a traffic jam stretching nearly 3 km on both sides, bringing vehicles to a halt. Protesting workers said the company is ignoring their legitimate demands. Their primary demand is to increase wages to ₹25,000, as the current salary is not sufficient to meet expenses. They also alleged lack of basic facilities inside the company, including drinking water. Around 2,000 male and female employees work at the unit. See three pictures of the protest demonstration- Long queue of vehicles on National Highway As workers suddenly sat on the highway, traffic movement came to a complete standstill. Long queues of trucks and buses formed on the road. On receiving information, the CSP, tehsildar and SDM reached the spot with police force. In view of the situation, traffic was diverted to alternate routes and efforts were made to pacify the protesters. Road Opened After Officials’ Assurance Administrative officials assured the workers that their concerns would be taken up with the company management and a resolution would be sought. Following the assurance, the road blockade was lifted.