International Solidarity

ZSP-AIT: Support the workers struggle at Amazon.com Poland

Dear Friends, Comrades & Fellow/Sister Workers,

Recently a group of Polish Amazon warehouse workers struck against unsafe working conditions and pay issues at two Polish fulfillment centers. The workers are contracted through Manpower, Addeco and other temp agencies.

According to the Polish Syndicalist Union (ZSP), the union the workers
are organizing with:

“The working conditions are even worse than in other countries. Not only the low pay and long hours. Some Amazon workers, especially those hired by agencies, complain of a number of problems including late payments, incorrect payments, not having the mandatory health insurance payments, etc. etc. There is also the matter of workers in one center having a higher rate than in he other.”

The Polish ZSP Amazon workers have launched an international campaign in support of their effort to change conditions at Amazon in Poland.

In solidarity, the Workers Solidarity Alliance (WSA) is initiating a support campaign for the workers week of action. Their campaign will start on Monday, January 26 and end Saturday, January 31st.

Please join us in endorsing this campaign and in taking action.

Below, please find campaign action details.

Yours in solidarity,
amazonsolidaritycampaign@gmail.com

Support the struggle against abuse and for better working conditions at Amazon Poland!

We call for actions of any kind against Amazon or Manpower work agency. Besides pickets at Amazon or Manpower, we would also appreciate spreading articles or making any leafletting or postering action which would inform potential Amazon customers about the working conditions. We also ask for organizations and individuals to send protest letters.

The agencies Adecco and Randstad are also involved, so they may also be picketed. Background ZSP started union activity in Amazon with some workers in both the Sady and Bielany Wroclawskie fulfillment centers. Some are hired directly by Amazon and others were hired through Manpower, Adecco or Ranstad work agencies.

In December some people started to leave work at Amazon because not only are the working conditions terrible, but there were also problems with incorrect payments. A few people decided to organize. We started with Manpower, since the biggest problems seemed to be for people hired through this agency. We announced a picket at its headquarters on Dec.16, but before the action, Manpower contacted us trying to get us to call off actions. They paid one of the workers overdue salary. We still went with a picket and have been discussing with them. Some other payments have been made but Manpower has not acted quickly for all the cases. We also picketed Adecco, which also tried to get us to call off actions, but they made payments very quickly and went to Amazon to straighten out the situation. For this reason, we decided focus on Manpower. However, later we heard of more cases of abuse from the side of Adecco, including not paying the obligatory health insurance payments. So although we originally made the appeal only for actions against Manpower, there are still serious problems with Adecco and Randstad and pickets there would also be welcome. The situation is still pending and we have new information all the time. We expect new problems to appear in January, when workers should get money for December. We believe that the problem may originate with Amazon, but the agencies are still responsible to ensure proper payments.

As more and more complaints are appearing, check for updates and more information here: http://zsp.net.pl/zsp/english

WORKING CONDITIONS

Stressful, high-pressure work, non-stop running around warehouse. 10.5 hour shifts – 10 hours of work plus unpaid 30 minute lunch break. No other breaks. Changing shifts, workers have to work 18:30-05:00 half of their working time. Night shifts and Sunday work not paid extra. Salary – about 3 euros an hour gross. The warehouses in Poland serve mostly the German market, but also France and UK. Workers get about ¼ of the salaries in Germany for the same job. Working conditions vary in Amazon but in UK workers make more money at night and in many countries employees have additional 15-minute breaks. Not in Poland. Many workers have to travel more than 1 hour to get to work. Workers in Sady near Poznan are paid more than the workers in Bielany Wroclawskie for the same work.

PROBLEMS WITH WORK AGENCIES

Workers feel they were misled about working conditions when recruited through Manpower and Adecco. They were led to believe they would earn more money. They are not explained about the fact that they wouldn’t get extra pay for evenings and Sundays and, according to some workers, they were promised the statutory 20% extra. According to the law, workers should received their salaries no later than on the 10th day of the month after the work was completed, but the payments have been regularly late. For example, both Adecco and Manpower have promised us that some payments for work in October and November would be paid – but only in January.

UPDATES

Workers at Amazon have a communication forum where ZSP union published articles about rights at work. We now receive dozens of reports about new problems. Workers did not receive money for time they were at health and safety training or for days when they were employed but Amazon did not assign them work. For some workers this was as long as 3 weeks. In both cases they are entitled to pay.

Workers are forced to move large boxes filled with books manually by cart. There have been cases where the agencies have not paid the social security payments /health care so they are not insured in case of injury.

DEMANDS

FROM AMAZON

Higher rates of pay for work at night and on Sunday

15 minute paid break

No difference in working conditions for directly employed and agency workers

Equalization of salaries in Sady and Bielany Wroclawskie

Payment for time without assigned work (postojowe)

Payment for health and safety training

Forklifts for heavy weights

 

FROM MANPOWER

Clear explanation of working time and accounting period to workers before they sign contract

Clear pay slips, showing number of hours worked and all deductions

Payments made in full by 10th of the month, in accordance with the law

Payments to ZUS (social security/health care) on time

Payment for time without assigned work (postojowe)

Payment for health and safety training

Money for laundry equivalent (which figures on payslip, but isn’t paid)

 

Fax/Email To Amazon

An email form will be set up for individual protests at

amazon.zsp.net.pl We ask organizations supporting to send letters

separately.

Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon

jeff@amazon.com

Director of Operations, CEE, Kerry Person

kerry.person@amazon.com

Fax: +352 26 73 33 32 or +1 206 622-2405

We support the campaign of the ZSP for better working conditions in Amazon Poland! No to exploitation and taking advantage of cheap labour! Give the workers a break and higher wages!

To Manpower

US Headquarters

Ania.Waszkiewicz@manpowergroup.com

Fax. 1 (414) 319-3401

Warsaw Office

Fax: + 48 22 50 40 717

manpowergroup@pl.manpowergroup.com

We support the demands of workers in Amazon Poland to receive their payments correctly and

on time from your agency!

Manpower earns off the precarious situation of Amazon workers!

Locations of Amazon

http://www.amazon.jobs/search-location

http://www.amazon.com/Locations-Careers/b?ie=UTF8&node=239366011

Locations of Manpower

http://www.manpowergroup.com/wps/wcm/connect/manpowergroup-en/home/about/globaloperations#.VKPAUSuG_3s

 

(Amazon logistics center,Wroclaw)

3 comments

  1. For clarification purposes.

    Please be clear that the WSA Appeal is aimed at north americans. We are trying to build support in north america only. All international efforts are Initiated and Coordinated by the ZSP amazon workers.

    Direct international contact should go to: any correspondence should go directly to. amazon@zsp.net.pl

    We encourage all comrades to aid this campaign. The Workers have set site with electronic protest letter: uphttp://amazon.zsp.net.pl/

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