INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
There are growing demands from workers for stricter safety measures in the wake
of coronavirus
Leaked notes from an internal Amazon meeting throw light on how executives are dealing with increased worker
unrest during the Covid-19 crisis.A lawyer suggested focusing on a sacked worker, who had organised a protest about safety in his New York
warehouse.Christian Smalls was described as "not smart, or articulate."He should be the story, rather than the wider questions about
conditions, the lawyer said.According to the memo, seen by technology news website Vice and not disputed by Amazon, general counsel David
Zapolsky advised: "He is not smart, or articulate and to the extent the press wants to focus on us versus him, we will be in a much stronger
PR position than simply explaining for the umpteenth time how we're trying to protect workers."Amazon claims that Mr Smalls, who led a
walkout of a number of workers at the Staten Island distribution warehouse, was fired because he violated a 14-day quarantine after he came
into contact with an employee who tested positive for Covid-19."We should spend the first part of our response strongly laying out the case
for why the organiser's conduct was immoral, unacceptable, arguably illegal, in detail, and only then follow with our usual talking points
about worker safety," wrote Mr Zapolsky."Make him the most interesting part of the story, and if possible make him the face of the entire
union/organising movement."Later he defended himself to Vice saying his "comments were personal and emotional"."I was frustrated and upset
that an Amazon employee would endanger the health and safety of other Amazonians by repeatedly returning to the premises after having been
warned to quarantine himself after exposure to the virus Covid-19."I let my emotions draft my words and get the better of me."The
TheIndianSubcontinent has contacted Mr Smalls for comment but has not yet received a response.Amazon has long resisted calls to recognise
unions, claiming it prefers to speak to employees directly about any concerns they have.This week workers in a warehouse in Chicago also
walked out in protest at working conditions
They laid out the issues they wanted bosses to deal with, including more timely updates on when colleagues had been diagnosed with
coronavirus."They told us on Friday there was a confirmed case from two weeks ago and they let us finish our night shift before telling us,"
claimed one worker, in the filmed protest."We don't have enough time to wash our hands
We are never six feet away from each other
This company makes so much money off the back of us and they can't clean it," claimed another.In response, Amazon said: "These accusations
Of the over 600 employees at our Chicago delivery station, a small group participated in the demonstration, on April 30th
"Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities
We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available and
changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances
The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for customers every day."Image
copyrightAmazonImage caption
Amazon says that it is strictly enforcing social distancing rules at its warehouses
The protesters also called on Amazon to stop processing non-essential items, which workers say are still being shipped."We've seen
computer chairs, tables, weights
They say they are moving only essential items but they are not
We are still in here, possibly catching coronavirus, shifting these luxury items."In Detroit, workers have also walked out, demanding that
the warehouse be shut down for cleaning.In response to the claims, Amazon told the TheIndianSubcontinent: "We're providing a vital service
to people everywhere, especially to those, like the elderly, who are most vulnerable
We know that people are depending on us
"To serve our customers while also helping to ensure the safety of our associates, we've changed our logistics, transportation, supply
chain, purchasing, and third-party seller processes to prioritise stocking and delivering items that are a higher priority for our
customers."Since the early days of this situation, we have worked closely with health authorities to proactively respond, ensuring we
continue to serve customers while taking care of our associates and teams
"We have implemented proactive measures at our facilities to protect employees, including increased cleaning at all facilities, maintaining
social distance, and adding distance between drivers and customers when making deliveries." In the leaked memo, Amazon also talked about how
it planned to give away surplus masks to hospitals and supermarkets.
