“Kill Us or Send Us Home”: Exploitation of Amazon Workers in Saudi Arabia
A recent investigation conducted by Godzillanewz has revealed the exploitation of Amazon workers in Saudi Arabia. Employees of Amazon’s supply chain have reported being overworked, underpaid, and lacking basic workers’ rights. In one case, Amazon worked with a labor supply company to hire workers from Nepal and India only to exploit them. Many of these workers are victims of human trafficking.
The investigation has uncovered a series of stories by these workers, who each reported being misled and exploited by labor supply and recruitment firms. They claim to have not been told of the conditions and wages they would receive on arrival, and found themselves with little to no information as to how to travel back to their home countries.
One worker reported, “The labor supply company promised us a safe job with a nice salary. When I arrived, it was nothing like that. I was given dirty, overcrowded housing, and I was worked for hours with no rest and no pay.” The reports from these workers show a systemic exploitation of Amazon workers in the region.
The exploitation of these workers is a direct result of a lack of government regulations and oversight in Saudi Arabia. Amazon has the responsibility to ensure its suppliers in the region respect international labor standards. It is also the responsibility of the Saudi government to proactively regulate and monitor labor practices to ensure workers’ rights and protections.
Local activists are now pushing for change. They are calling on Amazon to take immediate action to stop the exploitation of its workers in Saudi Arabia and send them home if they choose. The workers from Nepal and India are also seeking compensation for the abuse they have suffered, and the right to return home safely.
In the face of such abuses, it is clear that greater action is needed to protect Amazon workers in Saudi Arabia. Without decisive action, the exploitation will continue and workers will remain in precarious situations.
These workers are calling out to Amazon and the Saudi government to “kill us or send us home”; it is now their employers’ responsibility to answer the call.