Amazon polices for workers

Amazon's new resting facilities: A game-changer for delivery workers in India

Delivery workers to get a break as Amazon plans new resting facilities across India. As seen, E-commerce giant Amazon has launched its first resting point for delivery workers in Gurugram.

It will offer amenities such as drinking water, air conditioning, seating areas, and facilities to charge mobile phones. The facility was inaugurated on Friday and is a precursor to Amazon's wide plans to extend cooperation with Amazon delivery workers across the country.

Details of the Facility

Gurugram facility provides the center with inclusivity in design, allowing access not only to Amazon's delivery fleet but also to workers of other companies. Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations in the reputed news platform ‘The Indian Express’ stated that “Drivers would be required to register their details with a security professional guarding the facility, following which they could use the resting point for 30 minutes. At its peak, the facility in Gurugram could host up to 15 people”.

Expansion Plans

Singh added that the company aimed to open such resting points in cities with very high temperatures and humidity, especially those areas where the company Amazon has a huge operational presence. Though the company does not have a fixed target number for these facilities, it intends to bring them in metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. Singh further said, "The idea is that before the peak summer sets in, cities that are either very humid or have high temperatures should have these resting points."

Industry Perspective

The Amazon move is part of the wider trend by gig economy companies to review working conditions for delivery personnel. For instance, leading food delivery service Zomato has managed to implement similar facilities across India. This move was in response to continuous criticism regarding working conditions for 'delivery boys, who are usually employed as contractual laborers with limited benefits.

Reasons for the Shift

When asked why such facilities had not been implemented by the company so far, Singh replied though the idea could have been conceptualized years ago, it is only now that the overall conditions have necessitated it. "Summers now are harsher than they used to be three to four or five years ago…The level of humidity is higher," Singh said.

Past Controversies

This news has come amidst controversy over Amazon's labor policies.  The Indian Express, in a report earlier this year, mentioned that employees were made to sign a forced pledge of not taking any breaks until the targets were achieved. The National Human Rights Commission then took cognizance of this report and sought a response from the Labour Ministry. Amazon replied that this incident happened on May 16, 2024-was an isolated incident and against the standard of the workplace. The company said the pledge was an exercise in motivational skills, and it wasn't reflective of its labor practices.

Amazon's new resting facilities come as a welcome move to better the working conditions of its delivery staff in India. This is a basic amenity for people who go through the harshest summer conditions to contribute to the company. Of course, that will have to go into other cities as well, and that is where observation of the operation and effectiveness as far as servicing is concerned shall be of essence.