NEW DELHI — Employees at Amazon in India have initiated strike actions to demand improved wages and working conditions as the company gears up for one of its busiest shopping seasons.
Approximately 200 workers, including warehouse staff and delivery drivers, gathered in New Delhi under the banner “Make Amazon Pay.” Many participants wore masks representing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and united in protest against the company’s operational practices.
The walkout coincided with Black Friday, the start of a major shopping weekend, and similar actions took place at Amazon facilities in other countries, where workers advocated for increased pay, better working environments, and the right to unionize.
As of now, there has been no official response from Amazon India regarding the protests.
“Our basic salary is 10,000 rupees (approximately $120), but it should be at least 25,000 rupees (about $295),” stated Manish Kumar, a 25-year-old warehouse worker who participated in the New Delhi demonstration. “The environment is incredibly pressurized,” he added.
Nitesh Das, a representative from a workers’ union, explained that the strike was organized to compel the government to address their concerns.
The Amazon India Workers Union released a statement indicating that similar actions are being organized across various regions of India and internationally, including the United States, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. These demonstrations aim to urge Amazon to fairly compensate its employees, honor their rights to join unions, and make commitments to environmental responsibility.
The union plans to deliver a memorandum outlining its demands to India’s Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
As India’s economy continues to expand rapidly, the gig economy has flourished; however, workers in this sector often contend with meager wages and challenging working conditions.
In June 2023, India’s National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to Amazon following reports from local media alleging that workers were forced to toil without breaks during the extreme heat of summer. Amazon India has denied these allegations.