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What is the story about?
Amazon said on Thursday (July 2) it will take "appropriate action" against a third-party delivery partner in India once a police investigation into a fire that killed two workers is complete.
Amazon, one of India's largest e-commerce companies, has also launched an independent internal investigation into the incident, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The source declined to be identified because of the confidential nature of the issue.
A fire at M&M Logistics Solutions, an Amazon delivery partner in the northern state of Uttarakhand, killed two workers on June 5. The building allegedly lacked a valid fire safety clearance, a fire alarm, smoke detectors and a proper emergency exit, according to a state police document reviewed by Reuters.
"We will take appropriate action in line with our policies once the investigation by the local authorities is complete," Amazon said in a statement to Reuters.
State police in Uttarakhand and M&M Logistics Solutions did not respond to Reuters' queries.
Union calls for probe
In 2024, Amazon came under scrutiny from India's National Human Rights Commission over allegations of labour law violations during a severe heatwave at a warehouse near New Delhi. The commission was later informed that the state government had initiated legal action under India's labour laws over the complaints.
Amazon has maintained that the safety and wellbeing of its workers remains its top priority.
In a statement, the Amazon India Workers Union called for an independent judicial inquiry into the June 5 deaths, describing the incident as "a grave failure of workplace safety and protection of human dignity".
M&M Logistics Solutions operates 45 Amazon delivery centres across 21 cities, handling the e-commerce company's package deliveries across northern India, according to a 2023 Amazon press release.
Although M&M Logistics Solutions is a third-party vendor, Amazon's supplier code of conduct states that it does not tolerate unsafe working environments, including risks from uncontrolled fires.
The code also states that third-party contractors may be suspended or have their contracts terminated if they violate the company's standards.
Amazon, one of India's largest e-commerce companies, has also launched an independent internal investigation into the incident, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The source declined to be identified because of the confidential nature of the issue.
A fire at M&M Logistics Solutions, an Amazon delivery partner in the northern state of Uttarakhand, killed two workers on June 5. The building allegedly lacked a valid fire safety clearance, a fire alarm, smoke detectors and a proper emergency exit, according to a state police document reviewed by Reuters.
"We will take appropriate action in line with our policies once the investigation by the local authorities is complete," Amazon said in a statement to Reuters.
State police in Uttarakhand and M&M Logistics Solutions did not respond to Reuters' queries.
Union calls for probe
In 2024, Amazon came under scrutiny from India's National Human Rights Commission over allegations of labour law violations during a severe heatwave at a warehouse near New Delhi. The commission was later informed that the state government had initiated legal action under India's labour laws over the complaints.
Amazon has maintained that the safety and wellbeing of its workers remains its top priority.
In a statement, the Amazon India Workers Union called for an independent judicial inquiry into the June 5 deaths, describing the incident as "a grave failure of workplace safety and protection of human dignity".
M&M Logistics Solutions operates 45 Amazon delivery centres across 21 cities, handling the e-commerce company's package deliveries across northern India, according to a 2023 Amazon press release.
Although M&M Logistics Solutions is a third-party vendor, Amazon's supplier code of conduct states that it does not tolerate unsafe working environments, including risks from uncontrolled fires.
The code also states that third-party contractors may be suspended or have their contracts terminated if they violate the company's standards.
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