Employees at Amazon's distribution centres in Scotland are said to earn so little that they have to spend the night in tents to cut costs. Pictures of the tents, published by regional newspaper The Courier, caused a stir in Scotland last weekend.
Workers allegedly want to save on their fixed costs, travel expenses and travel time by camping near the distribution centre in Fife. According to local activists, distribution workers make 60-hour weeks at minimum wage. According to Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie, it is high time for the etail giant to reach out. "Amazon should be ashamed of the fact that it pays its staff so little that they are forced to camp out in the cold in winter," he says. Rennie argues that Amazon charges a weekly fee for transport arranged by the company itself. This makes employees' weekly wages fall even lower, even below the legal minimum wage.
Amazon says it does not recognise the allegations. It claims to offer a competitive hourly wage. Furthermore, the e-retailer is proud to have ‘created thousands of jobs in the UK within five years’. According to general manager Paul Ashraf, Amazon does everything it can to ensure that work remains enjoyable for warehouse staff. For example, on Black Friday — the busiest day of the year — DJs performed at the distribution centre and raffles were organised. “Safety and enjoyment at work are our top priorities,” Ashraf told the newspaper.
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