Hundreds of women working at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., an apparel factory in Hyderabad’s Nacharam industrial area, have been protesting on the road since Monday. They demand a higher salary to cope with rising inflation. The factory produces clothing for famous global brands such as H&M, JCPenney, C&A, and Levi’s. "This is our fourth day of protest. We began the strike on Monday morning when we refused to return to work and started the protest near the gate. Some of us go home, but we will be back tomorrow until our demands are met," said Padma, who has worked at the factory for 13 years. Workers earn ₹11,281 plus a ₹900 attendance bonus monthly, but they want their pay raised to ₹15,000. Parvathy, a worker of 12 years, pointed out the garments they craft are expensive abroad but made by them here: "We have stitched labels of JCPenney, H&M, C&A, Levi’s. None of the clothes we stitch are sold in our country. They are expensive and exported from here." Braving cold nights and harsh sun, the women stayed in small groups by the roadside holding placards. One sign in Telugu read: "How much is our salary and how much do you give us? We stand in the sun while you sit in AC rooms. The labour is ours; the reward is yours. We want justice." The protest remains peaceful. "There has been no trouble. The women are sitting there and protesting. They are not stopping those who want to enter the factory. It has been peaceful," said a security guard. Shahi Exports operates over 50 factories across eight states with more than 96,000 employees, 70% of whom are women, supplying clothes to brands like Walmart, Gap, Uniqlo, Nike and more. The Hindu has contacted Shahi Exports for comment and will update the story when a response is received.