A new survey by UNI Global Union has revealed that Amazon warehouse workers in India are still being forced to work in temperatures as high as 55°C, with the majority describing conditions as unsafe. The survey, released Monday, covers 474 warehouse and delivery workers across India this summer.
Of those surveyed, 75% said they or a colleague required medical attention, and 58% described their workplaces as 'extremely hot and unsafe' or 'like an oven'. Nearly 68% reported feeling sick, dizzy, or faint at work, and 85% witnessed a colleague fall ill from heat exposure.
Amazon rejected the findings, stating it provides safe working conditions and has invested Rs20bn (£167m) to improve associate experience, including new cooling systems and rest stops. The company said its internal surveys show 9 out of 10 associates rate Amazon favourably on job satisfaction.
However, workers at Amazon's Manesar warehouse in Haryana told The Independent that conditions on paper do not match reality. One 24-year-old worker said unloading trucks in the dock often became unbearable, with no fans inside the vehicles and managers telling them to 'do the work or go home'. Another worker, 23, described pressure to attach 650 labels per hour, and said a manager told him the company does not pay for bathroom breaks.
The survey found that 41% of workers could not slow their pace without risking penalties, and 59% described targets as unachievable in high heat. More than half said they were punished or warned for slowing down during heatwaves, with consequences including wage loss, disciplinary action, and loss of bonuses. Only 7% reported being granted extra breaks during heatwaves, while 16% were offered no cooling measures at all.
