Amazon hires women delivery agents in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Shobha, (30s) was previously working in a garment factory. Within a week, she will officially join as a delivery executive for Amazon India, a job she always dreamt of. “Working in the garment factory was absolute hell. So I took it all for years. A few days ago, when a close relative expired, I had to run around the office for three hours to get permission to attend the funeral. That was my last day at the garment factory,” Shobha recalls.
“I have completed my SSLC and have basic knowledge of English. So applying to private companies for a job was ruled out. Then I came across a job opportunity as a female delivery executive. The training has been smooth and I am looking forward to starting work,” she adds.
Shobha is one among the 42 women who have been trained by Mumbai-based private company Hey Deedee in association with CEAT Swayam – Zensar and BPac (Bengaluru Political Action Committee) civic leaders. Hey Deedee, the first all-women logistics company in India, is providing employment opportunities to women from low-income families by turning them into delivery agents. Currently, they are operating out of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Bengaluru. In Bengaluru, the first set of trainees will start working for Amazon India.
Uma Kumari Iyer, COO of Hey Deedee, says, “We identify women from below the poverty line and train them to ride two-wheelers. We have a tie-up with a private bank. Hence, we ensure hassle-free two-wheeler loans for these women. Then they start training for a particular company. Women delivery executives are already a big hit in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.”
Jayalakshmi K, a civic leader from BPAC, chose the first set of 10 women from Mahalakshmi Layout. “I regularly meet women in my assembly constituency from several self-help groups. They are all mostly from BPL and work in garment factories or are housewives in desperate need of money. Every time we meet, we discuss the inhumane treatment they face in these factories. When I was told about women delivery executives, I discussed it with several others and chose 10 people for the first batch. Soon, the next batch of 32 women executives will join in the next 10 days. BPAC leaders from HSR, Jayanagar and other areas are also gearing up to provide training to these women.”
Jayalakshmi says they are waiting for the two-wheelers to be dispatched, after which the trainees will start working in the field. “The two-wheelers are expected to be delivered within a week. Many could not even afford the `5,000 down payment. So we spoke to the authorities concerned that the amount is deducted from their salaries.”
Meenakshi, who has completed her PU, was working as an accountant with a private firm. “I quit the previous company for personal reasons. When I was told about the opportunity, I jumped at it. We were trained at the Amazon office in Rajajinagar. For the first two days, I found it difficult to understand the concept. The month-long training has been very satisfactory. We are promised a good package and flexible timings. I will be joining next week and I'm looking forward to it.”
The training
Since most of the women don't have experience, they were sent along with the male delivery executives to learn the job. They were trained on how to use mobile phones and GPS, behaviour with customers, CoD, locating the address, contacting customers, Amazon rules and regulations and more. Self-defence training has also been provided and they have been taught to use ‘Safety for All’ app in case of emergencies.