Amazon India Workers Union Submits Heat Safety Recommendations to Government, Cites Constitutional and Labour Law Gaps

Amazon India Workers Union Submits Heat Safety Recommendations to Government, Cites Constitutional and Labour Law Gaps

NEW DELHI, 16 Feb – The Amazon India Workers Union (AIWU) submitted detailed recommendations to the Ministry of Labour and Employment calling for binding heat safety standards under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code.

In its submission on the draft rules, the union argues that the absence of enforceable heat safety provisions leaves indoor workers vulnerable to extreme temperatures and undermines workers’ rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and the right to life, including the right to health.

The intervention comes amid intensifying heatwaves across India. Temperatures crossed 50°C in some regions last year, and more than 44,000 cases of heatstroke were recorded nationwide, according to government data cited by the union.

“The protection of the health and vigour of a worker is a fundamental obligation of the State,” said Dharmendra Kumar, President of AIWU. “Yet the current framework remains silent on enforceable safeguards against occupational heat exposure, especially for indoor workers.”

AIWU’s submission highlights working conditions inside large e-commerce warehouses, including those operated by Amazon, where workers lift, sort, and move packages in physically demanding environments across vast indoor facilities that can be difficult to cool effectively.

The union notes that warehouse work constitutes “high metabolic rate activity,” involving heavy lifting and sustained exertion that elevates internal body temperature and increases susceptibility to heat stress. Cooling and ventilation systems, it says, are often inadequate during peak summer months.

According to AIWU, the OSHWC Code and corresponding draft rules omit detailed and enforceable provisions on maximum workplace temperatures, ventilation standards and monitoring mechanisms.

The union points out that the Factories Act 1948 empowered state governments to prescribe specific standards for ventilation and temperature control and to require monitoring instruments such as hygrometers. AIWU argues that the shift toward centralized rule-making, without clear and binding thresholds, has created regulatory uncertainty and weakened enforcement.

“Without enforceable heat standards, mandatory work-rest cycles, hydration protocols and systematic monitoring, indoor workers remain at risk,” the submission states.

What AIWU is doing

Formed in recent years amid rapid growth in India’s e-commerce sector, AIWU has sought to organize workers across Amazon fulfilment centres, sortation hubs and delivery networks.

The union has campaigned for:

• Statutory heat exposure limits and mandatory cooling measures in warehouses;
• Lower thresholds and greater powers for workplace safety committees;
• Protection against retaliation for workers who report unsafe conditions;
• Mandatory and free periodic medical examinations;
• Restoration of inspection mechanisms removed under the new labour codes.

AIWU has also held meetings with warehouse workers in Delhi-NCR and other logistics hubs, filed representations with labour authorities, and sought to build alliances with other trade unions to push for amendments to the labour codes.

AIWU says the case could have implications beyond Amazon, potentially affecting millions of indoor industrial and logistics workers exposed to rising temperatures in factories, warehouses and workshops.

The submission comes as the 16th Finance Commission has recommended adding heatwaves to India’s national disaster list and allocating substantial funds to states to mitigate climate-related risks.

AIWU argues that while disaster recognition is welcome, it does not address routine occupational heat exposure inside workplaces.

About AIWU

The Amazon India Workers Union (AIWU) is the first independent, worker-led union of Amazon warehouse workers in India. Founded through sustained grassroots organizing and with the support of UNI Global Union, AIWU emerged from workers’ determination to challenge unfair labour practices and assert their rights in the workplace.

AIWU seeks to secure a fair and legally binding agreement with management that guarantees safe working conditions, reasonable workloads, job security, and a dignified living wage for all Amazon warehouse workers.

Through solidarity, democratic participation and collective action, AIWU stands committed to ensuring respect, fairness and justice for every Amazon worker in India.