Amazon faces Indian court scrutiny for labour conditions at warehouse

Workers detail stories of an unsafe work environment and unreasonable targets at a major warehouse; An Indian state has taken the retail giant to court.

Amazon is facing prosecution in an Indian court for labour law violations at a major warehouse near the country’s national capital of Delhi.

Documents reviewed by Al Jazeera through India’s Right to Information Act and court records showed that a labour inspection earlier this year alleged inadequate safety equipment, and failure to comply with provisions of labour laws at the Amazon warehouse.

That inspection was launched after reports emerged of an incident in May, where Amazon workers at the facility, located near Manesar in the state of Haryana, were asked to take verbal pledges not to take breaks, including for drinking water or using the toilet, until they met their targets for the day. Amazon calls its warehouses “fulfilment centres”.

An internal investigation by the company confirmed that a manager requested such a pledge as part of a “motivational exercise”. Amazon called the incident “unfortunate and isolated” in a letter to India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment in June, stating that disciplinary action had been taken against the manager. Amazon has not specified what action was taken against the executive.

That same month, the local Haryana government conducted a “detailed investigation” through labour inspections at the Amazon warehouse.

The labour inspection report, reviewed by Al Jazeera through the Right to Information Act, concluded that “labour laws are not being followed by the organisation”.

Amazon failed to provide workers with the required safety gear and did not maintain proper records, as required by law, at its warehouse. “Tight-fitting