ITUC: ‘break up Amazon'
International union confederation the ITUC has called for retail giant Amazon to be broken up.
It said that it is time that governments and regulators stepped in to stop Amazon from: “abusing its dominant market position; squeezing small and medium-sized businesses; dragging down conditions for working people; and not paying its fair share of tax”.
Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary, said: "There are simple solutions to all of our demands, but it is clear that Amazon cannot reform itself. It’s become too big to change its ways, it must be broken up.”
Here, general union the GMB called for a parliamentary inquiry into the working conditions at the company’s warehouses.
Mick Rix, GMB national officer, said: "Amazon is well known for unsafe, dehumanising work practices which see our members break bones, fall unconscious and have to be taken away in ambulances.
“They pay a pittance in tax while taking millions from the taxpayer in lucrative government contracts. Now, during a pandemic which has made the world’s richest man even more money, they’ve been packing workers into warehouses like sardines in a tin.”