Great Britain: Unite launches a confidential hotline for Amazon whistleblowers

As of 29 March, Amazon UK’s 40,000 employees who claim to have witnessed or been victims of bad practices can contact Unite directly by way of a dedicated hotline number and email. With this, the UK’s largest trade union body is looking to gather testimonies that can confirm the various stories circulating in the press, including accounts of ‘timed toilet breaks’ and several workplace injuries. The dedicated hotline “is not a publicity stunt” and the union is “in this for the long haul”, warned the Unite organizer, Sharon Graham, who also announced the launch of the ‘Action on Amazon’ campaign that will seek to secure better employment contracts and trade union representation for staff. “The fact is we already offer our employees excellent pay, excellent benefits and excellent opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern work environment,” retorted an Amazon spokesperson.