With temperatures as high as 50°C, Amazon employees in India are working in appalling circumstances inside warehouses during a severe heatwave.
Numerous employees in the nation’s Amazon facilities are calling for improved working conditions.
Amazon India Employees Suffering Severe Heatwave
The association’s head in Manesar, Haryana, Manju Goel, claimed that there was no air conditioning or ventilation, making the heat intolerable.
For a pitiful monthly income of about ₹10,000, about 2,000 workers in her warehouse endure harsh working conditions every day, including standing for 10 hours straight without a break. Hours cannot pass before employees can use the restroom, and the few break rooms—especially in the summer—are insufficient for the volume of employees.
Neha, a 25-year-old employee, claimed to get up at five in the morning, work ten to twelve hours, and do demanding responsibilities without getting any sleep. Some employees must walk up to 25 kilometers every day, and supervisors monitor their idle time, closely examining even little breaks.
Amazon’s rigorous attendance policy, which blocks IDs for missing work for family emergency or medical reasons, has drawn criticism from employees.
Labor Ministry To Investigate
A spokesman for the labor ministry indicated that while they were not aware of the situation, they will investigate. A representative for Amazon acknowledged that safety and well-being are top priorities and mentioned a program called “heat stress prevention,” but they did not address any particular accusations.
The initiative comprises campaigns for education and awareness, improved air conditioning and ventilation, and access to oral rehydration solutions.
The fact that workers were handling large parcels without the appropriate safety gear, such as gloves, raised worries about safety.
Neha stated that after multiple employees passed out from the heat and were simply given paracetamol, they were instructed to return to work in five minutes.
The Amazon India Workers Association’s convenor, Dharmendra Kumar, claimed that because of the extreme heat, workers had organized to make demands.
Kumar said that nothing had been done in response to his concerns to the labor ministry and Amazon.
Kumar found it unacceptable that workers from various places provided evidence of temperatures surpassing 30°C in the majority of the air-conditioned areas.
Employees are strictly instructed not to take breaks and are always under pressure to fulfill expectations.
