The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has initiated Suo Motu cognizance of a media report alleging labor law infringements at Amazon’s warehouse in Manesar, Haryana.

The Commission underscored that if the claims in the news report are substantiated, they raise significant human rights concerns, contravening both statutory laws and guidelines established by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Consequently, the Commission has dispatched a notice to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, requesting a comprehensive report on the issue within a week.

According to the media report, a 24-year-old worker at the warehouse was purportedly compelled to commit to refraining from taking restroom or water breaks until the unloading of packages from six 24-foot-long trucks was completed, subsequent to the team’s 30-minute tea break.

A female employee at the warehouse reportedly disclosed the absence of restroom facilities at the worksites. Another female worker mentioned standing for nine hours daily and being required to assess either 60 small products or 40 medium-sized products hourly during duty. Notably, Amazon has faced analogous allegations on an international scale.

Labor associations in India have accused five warehouses in and around Manesar of breaching regulations outlined in the Factories Act of 1948.

The news report highlights a worker who labors ten hours daily for five days each week, earning Rs 10,088 monthly, indicating that even with uninterrupted work, including allocated lunch and tea breaks, unloading more than four trucks daily remains unattainable.