I'm a treehugger, so shove your allegations... elsewhere. ...I am too, but only with native broad-leaves. I prefer my plantation conifers turned into books...but preferably not bought from Amazon.
Just read article that JB39 posted earlier. I see one worker mentioned is Spanish, hardly one of the Eastern European hordes mentioned. Is there not a legal mininium wage in Germany ?
I have a clear conscience Download to my Kindle No slave labour used But did the outfit which produced this use slave labour? Tell you what, when you're through with the book I'll buy it off you. Oh wait.....DRM. And when it's stored in a cloud (any time soon), they may delete it without asking you.
Ordered this yesterday lunchtime: Pictures: Amazon.co.uk: Music From a local record store in the shopping centre. Been looking for this recording (original piano version) ever since Emerson, Lake and wotsisname did it. Less than 24 hours later they phoned to say it was in. Cost a couple of quid more than the other place, (but would be about the same if I'd had express delivery), I met a human sales person who has a job he likes, browsed through the racks then went for a pint.
Ordered this yesterday lunchtime: Pictures: Amazon.co.uk: Music From a local record store in the shopping centre. Been looking for this recording (original piano version) ever since Emerson, Lake and wotsisname did it. Less than 24 hours later they phoned to say it was in. Cost a couple of quid more than the other place, (but would be about the same if I'd had express delivery), I met a human sales person who has a job he likes, browsed through the racks then went for a pint. Want to bet that store bought it from Amazon or from one of the same suppliers Amazon uses?
Want to bet that store bought it from Amazon or from one of the same suppliers Amazon uses? No it did not come from Amazon. They don't deliver that quick!
Amazon 'used neo-Nazi guards to keep immigrant workforce under control' in Germany - Europe - World - The Independent Arbeit macht frei supersaver delivery?
Whoa, hold it! I posted the article to inform others about Amazon - I for one had not known about that until I saw the documentary a few days ago. I'm a treehugger, so shove your allegations... elsewhere. Sorry if I offended you. Just wanted to point out that the "slave labour" you are so outraged about is more common than most people know. Kind regards, Jos
Looks to me like they went beyond the line, and I see no official step back by Amazon top management like we had (very reluctantly) from Apple under imilar circumstances, the changes I've seen so far are driven by German regulators not Amazon managment.
"Waterstones to stop selling Kindle as book sales surge...." The welcome death of Kindle, but one of my local Waterstones closed a couple of years back. Back to the slave labour thing then. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/06/waterstones-stop-selling-kindle-book-sales-surge
It would appear from a BBC documentary that Sports Direct have similar poor employee conditions...there seems to be a problem with the employment agencies circumventing legislation where they can.But overall,agency workers are being marginalised by an apparent lack of legislation covering their employment.Contracts are set up between the business and the agencies to supply the labour force,ie the agency are employing the workforce and not the business owner.Not a new business model for the gangmaster mode of supplying labour for agricultural contracts has been well established for casual labour in areas such as Lincolnshire for many years....the likes of Sports Direct demand full time working.Others matching workforce to a varying workload wish to stand down their labour with T&Cs that refuse the right of the worker to seek other work while stood down,although I believe this has recently been overturned....all part od ZHCs Without doubt these agencies represent an addition cost to any business and represent a reduction in worker's pay. Looking at the Sports Direct BBC documentary,it would appear that the conditions of employment are akin to those of the Victorian mill employers...ablution breaks strictly controlled...workers sanctioned if they go sick..bottles being used by workers to relieve themselves rather than run the risk of sanctions being applied. Little wonder that these jobs attract those from the poorer EU states and are declined by the local labour market
I note that in the DT Business Section on the day following the BBC documentary,comment was made "Sports Direct needs to move beyond Dickensian age". It follows on to question why the company should get away with some of its alleged poor practices simply because it's good at selling cheap trainers and tracksuits. BBC's Inside Out documentary noted that ambulances had been called to Sports Direct premises in question over 80 times in the last two years.Life threatening conditions made up 36 of the calls..symptoms included chest pains,breathing problems,convulsions and strokes. Mind you some football aficionados might be happy with Sports Direct owner,Mike Ashley's ownership of Newcastle Utd and his part ownership of Glasgow Rangers...equally others may represent dissent to his involvement in football ownership.
