Amazon India finds itself under scrutiny after allegations of harsh working conditions and stringent productivity demands surfaced from workers at its warehouses in Haryana’s industrial hub of Manesar.
Recently, a 24-year-old worker revealed to The Indian Express that employees in one of Amazon’s warehouses are routinely asked to pledge not to take breaks, including for water or toilet visits, until they achieve specific targets. These targets often involve unloading packages from large trucks, a physically demanding task exacerbated by the scorching temperatures of up to 50°C during the ongoing heatwave.
The worker, earning a monthly salary of Rs 10,088 for ten-hour shifts over five days a week, described the pressure to perform without adequate rest breaks. “Even if we work continuously, we struggle to unload more than four trucks a day,” he told Express, reflecting the impracticality of the imposed targets.
The situation is particularly dire for female workers, who face additional challenges due to the lack of adequate facilities and the physical toll of the job. Reports indicate that some departments have no designated restroom facilities, forcing employees to use makeshift solutions that are neither sanitary nor adequate for their needs.
In response to these allegations, an Amazon India spokesperson stated that the company takes the safety and well-being of its employees seriously. They mentioned the presence of heat index monitoring devices and cooling measures in their facilities, asserting that employees are provided with adequate water, hydration breaks, and rest opportunities.
The issue isn’t confined to India alone. Amazon has faced similar allegations internationally, with authorities in the US citing safety violations and ergonomic hazards in several warehouses.
Earlier this year, the company fired a warehouse worker in US after he posted a video on TikTok about having to pick up heavy boxes.
Three female marketing managers in Seattle have also filed a proposed class action accusing Amazon of widespread sex discrimination and that the tech giant has retaliated against them, including by firing one and forcing another to quit. The workers in an amended complaint claim Amazon’s illegal conduct only escalated in the weeks after they initially filed the lawsuit in November last year alleging violations of federal and Washington state laws.
