Amazon has come under the lens of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for alleged “anti-labour practices”. The commission has issued a notice to the Centre over a report alleging such practices at one of the warehouses in Manesar.
The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of a media report that stated that at one of Amazon India’s warehouses "a 24-year-old worker was asked to pledge that they would not take toilet or water breaks until they finished unloading packages from six trucks, each measuring 24 feet long, after their team's 30-minute tea break had ended". The commission stated that if the contents of the report are true then this tantamounts to serious human rights violation of the workers as well as violation of labour laws and guidelines by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment.
In the proceedings of the case shared by NHRC where it mentioned the name of the company as Amazon India, it said "a female employee at the Manesar warehouse reportedly stated that no restroom facilities are available on the working sites.”
Amazon India, in its response, had earlier told Business Today, “The safety and wellbeing of our employees and associates is our top priority. We’re confident the infrastructure and facilities at our fulfilment centres are industry leading, designed to ensure a safe and comfortable working environment for our employees and associates.”
The spokesperson said that the buildings have heat index monitoring devices and the company constantly monitors changes in temperature, especially during the summer months. If the heat or humidity inside the buildings increase, then they take action to provide comfortable working conditions, including temporarily suspending work. “We have cooling measures in all our buildings, including ventilation systems, fans, and spot coolers," the spokesperson added.
The NHRC highlighted that five warehouses in and around Manesar are accused of violating regulations outlined in the Factories Act, 1948.
The NHRC has issued a notice to the Secretary of Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, and has sought a detailed report within a week. The commission highlighted that even if the workers work continuously without breaks, including the 30-minute lunch and tea breaks, they would not be able to unload more than four trucks a day.