Thursday 22 December 2011

AMAZON.CO.UK - MODERN DAY WORKHOUSE - BOYCOTT THEM

Amazon.co.uk already has a reputation for being slave drivers, but it has to be experienced to be believed. The treatment of agency workers is appalling. They are kept on tenterhooks, never knowing whether the day they are working will be the last they work. Some have been in this state of uncertainty for over 5 years. The breaks: 15 minutes for tea, and 20 minutes for lunch. Ok? It would be if it wasn't for the fact that you have to be back at your working location and logged in by the time the break has finished. The eating area is a fast walking 3-4 minutes walk away from some locations, so breaks are effectively, by the time logging in to equipment is considered are; 5 minutes and 10 minutes, which over an 8 hour shift is illegal.
The agency workers are spoken to with no respect, often insulted and humiliated in front of others, any protests mean you are out the door. If the ridiculous targets are not met a humiliating dressing down follows. Targets for order picking are illogical; same speed, same items, from one location may be considered satisfactory, whilst from another location the same items picked at the same speed  could result in a warning for slow work rate!! The easier pick locations are always reserved for full time staff.
Order pickers walk 10 to 15 miles per day according  to Amazon USA figures, but 15 to 20 miles is more likely. Non stop speed walking is expected, any agency worker caught dawdling will be out.
Orders should be picked within seconds even if it means a 100 metre walk.
Other roles are equally demanding. Quality workers are expected to scan and count 500 work bins per hour, illogical to any reasonable person, but not to Amazon. One of these bins may contain up to 100 items which must be counted and logged within 7 seconds - do you know anybody who can count to 100 in 7 seconds?
The environment is one of total misery, which relies on employing desperate submissive workers mostly from eastern Europe. In the event of the unlikely return of full employment, Amazon would lose nearly all its staff, apart maybe from sadistic enforcers who thrive on human misery.
If you have any compassion for humanity PLEASE DO NOT BUY FROM AMAZON. In years to come people will look back in shame that they supported an organisation such as Amazon.