Protest held in Milton Keynes over Amazon's working conditions

    A protest was held in Milton Keynes today (6/5) as campaigners from Unite the Union criticised Amazon for its working conditions.

    Campaigners from the UK's largest trade union, which has around 1.1 million members, visited the city's main landmarks to unveil a giant banner that reads "Stop the Exploitation" and "Action on Amazon".

    This is all part of the union's view that Amazon workers should be able to form a union "without fear".

    It comes as last week Amazon reported that its first-quarter profit more than tripled from a year ago, fuelled by the growth of online shopping. 

    Unite claims that Amazon has "poor working conditions" and is using "anti-union tactics", something which is disputed by the company. The online shopping giant says that their employees are given "excellent pay" and work in a "safe" and "modern" environment.

    Members of Unite were photographed outside Xscape, Stadium MK and 12th Street this morning, wearing hi-vis jackets that read "Action on Amazon".

    Sharon Graham, Unite executive officer, said: “Amazon’s profits have tripled off the backs of workers who have been essential during the pandemic. But the company continues to be plagued by reports of poor working conditions and anti-union tactics.

    "Amazon workers are not currently free to join a union without fear, and without obstruction and propaganda being deployed against them. Workers have serious concerns about issues such as bullying, mandatory overtime, intense surveillance, break-neck production targets and much more besides. Amazon workers need an independent voice to stand up against injustices in the workplace. 

    "Unite has recently written to Jeff Bezos in response to claims from the company about respecting UK workers’ rights to join and form a union. Our union is calling on the company to make a clear commitment and sign up to a declaration of neutrality. The declaration would guarantee workers the freedom to talk with and form a union without fear. If the company is genuine then it should be more than happy to sign the declaration."

    A spokesperson for Amazon responded: "The fact is we already offer our employees excellent pay, excellent benefits and excellent opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern work environment.

    "Our competitive wages start at £9.70 or £10.80 per hour depending on location, and we’d encourage anyone to compare this to the wages and benefits offered by other retailers.

    "We’re proud to have created 10,000 new permanent roles across the UK in 2020, taking our total permanent UK workforce to more than 40,000. Our people have played a critical role in serving customers in these unprecedented times and the new roles help us continue to meet customer demand and support small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon."

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