Boiling Point: Workers demand safety in an era of climate extremes

Rajendra Acharya is the Regional Director for Asia & Pacific at UNI Global Union

Amazon workers near Delhi were dripping with sweat. The heat in their warehouse was oppressive, causing exhaustion and dizziness. But the pace of their jobs was unrelenting – they had to pack 240 items an hour.

Amazon India is a prime example of how employers are putting workers in danger during extreme weather. In late May, Delhi’s temperature broke an 83-year record, and temperatures inside Amazon’s warehouse in the region were also sweltering – up to 34°C.

Instead of triggering safety measures such as more mandatory breaks and greater access to water, workers say Amazon forced them to take an oath to meet targets without breaks for water or washrooms under this broiling heat.

Pictures shared by the Amazon India Workers Association (AIWA), supported by UNI Global Union, show employees collapsed on locker room floors because there were no other places to rest.

After the AIWA called on the Indian government to protect warehouse workers, the National Human Rights Commission announced an investigation. And the company has since admitted failures by management to keep workers safe.

Workers are continuing to push, and the AIWA is urging the company to implement basic steps, such as maintaining a safe temperature in all facilities and providing heatstroke training and compensation for workers who fall ill.

Workers at one of the richest companies in the world have to demand basic amenities such as shade, drinking water, access to toilets and adequate breakrooms.

Unfortunately, this story is too common and is becoming more frequent.

May 2024 shattered heat records for the twelfth consecutive month, and June has unleashed deadly heatwaves around the globe like the one in Delhi. While we think about extreme weather mainly affecting those in construction and agriculture, service workers are also being hurt.

Recent research by the ILO shows that the climate crisis creates “a cocktail of serious health hazards” for 70 per cent of the world’s work force.

We see these climate dangers for security officers who have to stand outside, often in hot uniforms with no shade. We see it for care workers, who are the shock troops of the climate crisis.

The extremes not only directly affect them, especially community care providers exposed to the elements, but the 22.87 million annual heat-related occupational injuries are also putting a strain on an already overburdened global care system.

We see it in commerce, where a young parking lot attendant at Costco Korea died on the job during a heat wave. We see it in post, where letter carriers become climate disaster relief workers like they did recently in Pakistan.

The climate crisis is reshaping our lives and transforming our workplaces. Unions in Asia and across the globe are rethinking their strategies and negotiating new protections in response to these extreme conditions.

Some of these victories – like ensuring access to water, appropriate uniforms or mandatory break times – save lives. However, the battle is far from over.  

Employers everywhere should be required to consult with unions on new dangers the climate crisis poses, including unsafe temperatures, UV radiation exposure and disease. Workers must be involved in the development and roll out of comprehensive safety training around climate risks. We must push for strict enforcement of safety standards during extreme weather.  

As temperatures climb and the urgency for action intensifies, workers are reaching their breaking point. In Amazon warehouses across India, workers may be fatigued by the oppressive heat, yet they refuse to passively endure unsafe conditions. We must do the same and fight for safety on the job for all.  

The time to act is now.