Amazon staff in India have joined strike action calling for better wages and working conditions as the company prepares for one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.

About 200 warehouse workers and delivery drivers joined a rally in the capital, New Delhi, under a “Make Amazon pay” banner.

Some donned masks of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.

The walkout on Black Friday, which starts one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, was repeated at Amazon warehouses in other countries as workers called for higher wages, better working conditions and union rights.

People wear masks of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos during a protest in New Delhi, India
The walkout took place on Black Friday, which starts one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year (Manish Swarup/AP)

Nitesh Das, a union leader, said the workers took to the streets because they want the government to take up their cause.

Amazon, in a statement issued in India, accused the workers of “intentionally misleading and continuing to promote a false narrative”.

“Our facilities are industry-leading and provide competitive pay, comfortable working conditions, and specially designed infrastructure to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for all,” the company said.

“We’ve created more than 1.5 million jobs around the world, and counting, and we provide a modern, safe and engaging workplace whether you work in an office or at one of our operations buildings.”

A statement from the Amazon India Workers Union said similar protests are planned in other parts of India as well as in other countries, including the US, Germany, Japan and Brazil.

India Amazon Protest
A participant wears a paper mask in the likeness of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos as workers stage a protest against the Seattle-based company (Manish Swarup/AP)

The demonstrations will call on Amazon to pay its workers fairly, respect their right to join unions, and commit to environmental sustainability, it said.

The union said it would submit a memorandum highlighting its demands to India’s labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The gig economy has become huge in India due to its fast economic growth, but workers face low wages and difficult working conditions.

India’s National Human Rights Commission sent a notice to Amazon in June 2023 after local media reports that workers were being made to work without breaks during the peak hot summer season.

Amazon India denied the charge.