[IER] Amazon workers’ “lives at risk” as employer surveils for union activity

Fri Nov 27 17:23:14 GMT 2020

News brief - 27/11/20                                                                              <https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=49a0937422> View this email in your browser 

  <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/3038f9d5-b388-4d05-b8a1-dcf173b2070d.png> 

Amazon workers’ “lives at risk” as employer surveils for union activity 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/c81f1b26-b425-4394-80bb-f4fce0782c4e.jpg> 

Amnesty International has today  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/amazon-workers-lives-at-risk-as-employer-surveils-for-union-activity/> called on Amazon to respect its workers' human right to organise in unions, after a report from the charity unveiled a year of anti-union activity that risks killing workers through health and safety breaches.

In March, Amazon paused its usual performance targets of 300 items picked and packed per hour, with working times of of up to 55 hours a week and 10 hours a day, because these practices were identified as unsafe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the fact the current second-wave of the Coronavirus is expected to be more deadly than the first, the company recently sent text messages to its UK workforce telling them that it now expected them to return to pre-Covid performance levels in order to meet Christmas demand.

In order to quell a worker backlash, the firm has been using legal action and surveillance to monitor and challenge union activity in the US and the UK, while in Europe it has ignored union concerns around health and safety breaches.

"We are gravely concerned that the Black Friday rush could turn Amazon warehouses into hotspots for infection," Kate Allen, UK Director for Amnesty International, said.

"Aggressive productivity targets mean social distancing rules cannot be effectively implemented, putting the lives of those working in Amazon warehouses at serious risk."

Barbora Černušáková, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, added: "As Amazon approaches its busiest time of year with Black Friday and Christmas, we are urging the company to respect the human rights of its workers and comply with international labour standards, which state clearly that workers have a right to unionise."

Want Black Friday prices without a Black Friday conscience? The IER XMAS sale is here!

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/ecc33588-29f8-4cee-a740-7d064a7d8a61.jpg> 

Avoid the gift to the rich that is the Black Friday sales and find great deals on the IER website. 

>From now until Christmas Day, you can get 20% of your basket when you enter the code xmas at checkout. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/shop/> Go to the shop 

In the news

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/8ca9106f-ebe1-4d50-86b3-57e3f67ea8e6.jpg> 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/22900966-70ab-4302-9138-956b620c504c.jpg> 

Govt ‘orchestrating information blackout’ with secretive Cabinet Office unit

The Cabinet Office has been accused of undermining the UK's democratic system by controlling the information that leaves government. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/govt-orchestrating-information-blackout-with-secretive-cabinet-office-unit/> Read full report 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/c81f1b26-b425-4394-80bb-f4fce0782c4e.jpg> 

Amazon workers’ “lives at risk” as employer surveils for union activity

A new report from Amnesty International has highlighted "grave" concerns about Amazon acting to suppress its workers' human right to organise. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/amazon-workers-lives-at-risk-as-employer-surveils-for-union-activity/> Read full report 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/9f05eec4-e376-4be7-b4cd-9c7d738100cb.jpg> 

The economy ‘gets nearly £13 back for every £1 spent’ on the Union Learning Fund

New research has found the Union Learning Fund to be "expert" at upskilling the workforce, but the government still wants to scrap it. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/the-economy-gets-nearly-13-back-for-every-1-spent-on-the-union-learning-fund/> Read full report 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/a1543e86-4f50-4db4-9b2a-a7f9615224e5.jpg> 

Unions on the spending review: Prepare to ‘level down’

Union leaders have blasted Rishi Sunak's attempt to employ "divide and rule" policies in this week's spending review. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/unions-on-the-spending-review-prepare-to-level-down/> Read full report 

FREE EVENTS BY THE IER

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/1753de7b-c405-4cc9-ad68-69764f41241d.jpg> 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/6b3fd74b-5079-42a3-b982-5a59addb163a.jpg> 

International standards and trade deals

08 December 2020 – 19:00-20:15
Ruth Bergon of Trade Justice Movement; Aristea Koukiadaki of The University of Manchester; Jeff Vogt of The Solidarity Centre; and Tony Burke of Unite and the TUC discuss how workers’ rights standards could be protected in future trade deals. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/events/international-standards-and-trade-deals/> Register your place 

IER and Covid-19

Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease and the need to keep our staff, supporters and speakers safe, IER have decided to postpone all forthcoming IER events and meetings until further notice, including both Health and safety at work after Brexit conferences in Liverpool and London, the IER Executive Committee, IER AGM and our joint event with the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom on 6th June.

IER staff will continue to work, but remotely from home. We will answer emails, produce publications and circulate our weekly News Briefs and other on-line information. However, phone calls to the office or mail sent by post will not receive immediate attention.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish you all best wishes during this difficult time.

 <http://www.facebook.com/theinstituteofemploymentrights> 

 <https://www.twitter.com/IERUK/> 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/> 

Our mailing address is:

Institute of Employment Rights

4th Floor Jack Jones House

1 Islington

Liverpool, Merseyside L3 8EG 

United Kingdom

 <https://ier.us12.list-manage.com/vcard?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=4e9e05d15d> Add us to your address book

Unsubscribe using the instructions at the bottom of this email or in the attached .txt document. If you cannot find the instructions, please email sarah at ier.org.uk

-- 
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.gn.apc.org/pipermail/ier-elist/attachments/20201127/9bc9114f/attachment-0001.html>