Darren Westwood speaks to Sky News about corralling colleagues to strike over low pay and conditions that see staff stand on their feet all day and get warnings if they fail to sort through a set number of items per hour.
"The money is there. I know people say that it's the politics of envy but we're not asking for his [Jeff Bezos'] yacht or his rocket. We just won't be able to pay our way. And that's all we're asking."
It's not just about money, however. Amazon has long been criticised for employing tough productivity targets that require workers to sort through a set number of items per hour. The loss of up to 300 of its 1,400 workforce in Coventry is unlikely to cause Amazon any major operational problems but management will be keeping a close eye on developments. Across the globe, its workforce has started agitating. In the US, workers at a New York warehouse recently voted to start the company's first-ever labour union.
"Employees are also offered comprehensive benefits that are worth thousands more - including private medical insurance, life assurance, subsidised meals and an employee discount, to name a few." A similar story is playing out across the economy, especially in the public sector, where industrial relations are fracturing under the strain of rampant inflation. Nurses, ambulance drivers, railway workers, teachers and postal workers have all voted to down their tools and march out.Like some of Amazon's employees, many of them were repeatedly reminded of their value during the pandemic, when they went out to work when others stayed at home.
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