Partners:
Decision Maker:
1) Mr Amit Agarwal, Global Senior Vice President and Country Head of Amazon India
2) Abhinav Singh, VP of Operations, Amazon India
3) Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Labour and Employment, Government of India
Support the movement to Make Amazon Pay by signing and sharing the petition for the fourth Global Day of Action on Black Friday, November 24, 2023. Amazon warehouse workers and various stakeholders are uniting to challenge the corporation's exploitation of workers, communities, and the environment. Despite previous global actions addressing issues like workers' rights, climate commitments, and fair taxation, the fight continues as Amazon maximises its gains at the expense of people and the planet.
You can also join us on the ground on Black Friday to make a collective stand for justice and accountability. Stakeholders are organising actions across various cities in India (you can find the list of cities at the bottom of the page). Let's make this the most impactful day of action yet – sign and share the petition!
What is the issue?
In the peak holiday season, e-commerce thrives, captivating millions worldwide. However, amidst record-breaking sales, there's an underlying cost—Amazon's success in online shopping impacts climate, health, and worker well-being.
“I work in the Amazon Outbound department, where I do slam work. In slam, we have to put labels on the packages. In one hour, we have to put 550 to 600 labels. If we do not hit these targets and do 300 to 350, the PS (Problem solver) and PA (Process assistant) give negative feedback and shout at us, saying the target is not being met. You have to work and hit the targets; otherwise, go home if you can’t hit these targets.” - Quote from an Amazon Warehouse Worker.
Amazon warehouse workers endure gruelling work hours and unattainable targets, standing for 10 hours daily, processing up to 240 items per hour with only two short breaks and face abusive language if targets aren't met, often resulting in coerced resignations. The relentless pressure is so severe that accessing the restroom is restricted, leading to physical discomfort. Constant tracking based on hourly targets creates a robotic work environment where communication is prohibited.
Injuries are met with allegations and immediate termination, with restroom breaks meticulously timed and idle time scrutinised. Even during breaks, the 30-minute allowance is diminished by 15-16 minutes for security checks, leaving a mere 14-15 minutes for essential activities like eating before returning to duty. This harsh reality calls for urgent attention and intervention to protect the well-being and rights of Amazon's warehouse workforce.
“When I was working at the company, there was an accident where I hurt my finger. They gave me a tablet called Dolo and made me work. Even though I had an accident, they made me work. They made me wear gloves and asked me to work. My finger continued to bleed, and the blood started to seep out of the gloves, so I spoke to my HR and told them that I would like to go home so I could go to the hospital and get it looked at. They told me I wouldn’t get my salary for the day if I went home. So I said okay, I’ll continue to work. They asked me which hand was hurt, and I said it was my right hand. They responded, saying I could work with my left hand, and if I couldn’t do the unloading work, then I could do some other work. I said my hand was bleeding too much, and HR said if I came again to complain, they would blocklist me. I went to work the next day, and they had blocklisted me. I asked them why, and they said I was blocklisted a month ago. Even though I worked the previous day, they told me I was blocklisted from a month ago.” - Quote from an Amazon Warehouse Worker.
Warehouse worker demands
Equal Pay Policy:
Implement equal pay in Amazon warehouses.
Ensure a minimum salary of Rs 25,000 and a Diwali bonus of Rs 20,000.
End Contract System:
Eliminate the daily contract system in Amazon warehouses and regularise all part-time employees with 200 workdays annually.
Ensure that contractual employees who have worked for 240 days are made permanent.
Female Employee Protection:
Establish regulations to prevent harassment of female employees.
Provide adequate and convenient welfare facilities that provide places to rest and include sanitation and hygiene facilities.
Realistic Targets:
Set practical targets that consider the mental and physical capacity of workers.
Stop the unilateral blocking of cards without notice and end domestic enquiries.
Compensation for Accidents:
Ensure appropriate compensation for all employees affected by duty-related accidents.
Protest locations and times:
Partners:
Decision Maker:
1) Mr Amit Agarwal, Global Senior Vice President and Country Head of Amazon India
2) Abhinav Singh, VP of Operations, Amazon India
3) Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Labour and Employment, Government of India
Support the movement to Make Amazon Pay by signing and sharing the petition for the fourth Global Day of Action on Black Friday, November 24, 2023. Amazon warehouse workers and various stakeholders are uniting to challenge the corporation's exploitation of workers, communities, and the environment. Despite previous global actions addressing issues like workers' rights, climate commitments, and fair taxation, the fight continues as Amazon maximises its gains at the expense of people and the planet.
You can also join us on the ground on Black Friday to make a collective stand for justice and accountability. Stakeholders are organising actions across various cities in India (you can find the list of cities at the bottom of the page). Let's make this the most impactful day of action yet – sign and share the petition!
What is the issue?
In the peak holiday season, e-commerce thrives, captivating millions worldwide. However, amidst record-breaking sales, there's an underlying cost—Amazon's success in online shopping impacts climate, health, and worker well-being.
“I work in the Amazon Outbound department, where I do slam work. In slam, we have to put labels on the packages. In one hour, we have to put 550 to 600 labels. If we do not hit these targets and do 300 to 350, the PS (Problem solver) and PA (Process assistant) give negative feedback and shout at us, saying the target is not being met. You have to work and hit the targets; otherwise, go home if you can’t hit these targets.” - Quote from an Amazon Warehouse Worker.
Amazon warehouse workers endure gruelling work hours and unattainable targets, standing for 10 hours daily, processing up to 240 items per hour with only two short breaks and face abusive language if targets aren't met, often resulting in coerced resignations. The relentless pressure is so severe that accessing the restroom is restricted, leading to physical discomfort. Constant tracking based on hourly targets creates a robotic work environment where communication is prohibited.
Injuries are met with allegations and immediate termination, with restroom breaks meticulously timed and idle time scrutinised. Even during breaks, the 30-minute allowance is diminished by 15-16 minutes for security checks, leaving a mere 14-15 minutes for essential activities like eating before returning to duty. This harsh reality calls for urgent attention and intervention to protect the well-being and rights of Amazon's warehouse workforce.
“When I was working at the company, there was an accident where I hurt my finger. They gave me a tablet called Dolo and made me work. Even though I had an accident, they made me work. They made me wear gloves and asked me to work. My finger continued to bleed, and the blood started to seep out of the gloves, so I spoke to my HR and told them that I would like to go home so I could go to the hospital and get it looked at. They told me I wouldn’t get my salary for the day if I went home. So I said okay, I’ll continue to work. They asked me which hand was hurt, and I said it was my right hand. They responded, saying I could work with my left hand, and if I couldn’t do the unloading work, then I could do some other work. I said my hand was bleeding too much, and HR said if I came again to complain, they would blocklist me. I went to work the next day, and they had blocklisted me. I asked them why, and they said I was blocklisted a month ago. Even though I worked the previous day, they told me I was blocklisted from a month ago.” - Quote from an Amazon Warehouse Worker.
Warehouse worker demands
Equal Pay Policy:
Implement equal pay in Amazon warehouses.
Ensure a minimum salary of Rs 25,000 and a Diwali bonus of Rs 20,000.
End Contract System:
Eliminate the daily contract system in Amazon warehouses and regularise all part-time employees with 200 workdays annually.
Ensure that contractual employees who have worked for 240 days are made permanent.
Female Employee Protection:
Establish regulations to prevent harassment of female employees.
Provide adequate and convenient welfare facilities that provide places to rest and include sanitation and hygiene facilities.
Realistic Targets:
Set practical targets that consider the mental and physical capacity of workers.
Stop the unilateral blocking of cards without notice and end domestic enquiries.
Compensation for Accidents:
Ensure appropriate compensation for all employees affected by duty-related accidents.
Protest locations and times: