One of the leading shipping giants in the US, Amazon, recently compensated several hundred of its contract workers in Saudi Arabia, as per the company’s statement. These workers had been subjected to various challenging conditions including high placement fees and inhumane working conditions.
The US-based conglomerate made the announcement this past Friday, stating that they had allocated a total of 1.9 million dollars (equivalent to 1.75 million euros) for compensation. This amount was distributed amongst over 700 contract workers.
A thorough investigation brought to light several violations of the company’s own policies. These violations included aspects like “substandard accommodation, irregularities in contracts and wages”, and delays in addressing complaints.
In October, Amnesty International, a renowned human rights organization, revealed shocking details based on testimonies from 22 Nepalese workers. These individuals were employed in Amazon warehouses located in Riyadh and Jeddah during 2021 and 2022. The report highlighted several issues faced by these contract workers such as being “robbed of their money” and being “housed in horrible conditions.” Furthermore, these workers were restrained from seeking other employment opportunities or leaving the country.
Amnesty International’s report contained severe allegations, primarily against the recruitment agencies involved in the process. Some of these agencies misled the workers into believing that they were being directly employed by Amazon. The affected workers, in many cases, were compelled to take out large loans to cover the agency fees. Upon arrival, they were subjected to “grueling” working conditions characterized by constant supervision, insufficient breaks, and inadequate recovery times.
Amazon responded with “deep concern” upon learning about these allegations and promptly initiated an investigation. The company also pledged to ensure that the workers received their overdue payments and would be provided with “safe and clean accommodation” in the future.
Amnesty was pleased with the compensation payments made by Amazon. They, however, stressed that these compensations must also be extended to “hundreds of other workers” who endured similar hardships but have long since left the company or the country. Amnesty emphasized that these workers are equally deserving of “justice and compensation.”