NEW DELHI (AP) – Amazon workers in India have joined a strike demanding better wages and working conditions as the company prepares for one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.
Around 200 warehouse workers and delivery drivers gathered in the capital, New Delhi, under the “Make Amazon Pay” banner. Others wore masks of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and joined hands in protest of the Seattle company’s behavior.
The Black Friday walkout, which kicks off one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, was repeated at Amazon warehouses in other countries as workers called for higher wages, better working conditions, and union rights.
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“Our starting salary of 10,000 rupees ($120,000), should be 25,000 rupees ($225,000),” said Manish Kumar, 25, a warehouse worker who participated in the New Dehli protest. “And the environment is there to work under pressure,” he added.
The president of this organization, Mr. Nitesh Das, said that these workers have taken to the streets because they want the government to resolve their issue.
Amazon, in a statement issued in India, accused employees of “intentionally misleading and continuing to promote a false narrative.”
“Our facilities are industry-leading and offer competitive wages, comfortable working conditions, and facilities designed to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for all,” the company said.
“We’ve created more than 1.5 million jobs worldwide, and counting, and we provide a modern, safe, and fun workplace whether you work in the office or at one of our facilities.”
A statement from the Amazon India Workers Union said similar protests were planned in other parts of India and in other countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. The demonstrations will call on Amazon to pay its workers fairly, respect their right to join unions, and commit to environmental protection, he said.
This organization says that it will submit a document showing its demands to the Minister of Labor of India, Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya.
The gig economy has become huge in India due to rapid economic growth, but workers face low wages and difficult working conditions.
India’s National Human Rights Commission sent a notice to Amazon in June 2023 after local media reported that workers were being made to work without breaks during the summer heat. Amazon India has denied the allegation.