1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,280
Speaker 1: This is a podcast about Amazon, a company that's made

2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,320
Speaker 1: its founder Jeff Bezos the richest man on Earth, whilst

3
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,520
Speaker 1: also being voted one of the worst places to work.

4
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,360
Speaker 1: Let's look at how they treat warehouse workers, the people

5
00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:20,759
Speaker 1: most vital to keeping Amazon stock moving forward. On average,

6
00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,239
Speaker 1: Amazon warehouse workers are paid around seventeen dollars an hour

7
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,280
Speaker 1: in the US and around fourteen pounds an hour in

8
00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,120
Speaker 1: the UK. For these wages, employees will often work ten

9
00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,360
Speaker 1: to twelve hour shifts, constantly on their feet, where they're

10
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,000
Speaker 1: expected to hit never ending targets. A package must be

11
00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,240
Speaker 1: dealt with every thirty seconds. If you're working as a picker,

12
00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:45,199
Speaker 1: you're expected to process three hundred items per hour. You've

13
00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,120
Speaker 1: given nine seconds to take each item from a robot

14
00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,680
Speaker 1: that delivers shelf upon shelf of Amazon packages. Staff are

15
00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,400
Speaker 1: constantly filmed in the warehouse as they work, and their

16
00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:00,000
Speaker 1: toilet breakes are even time. Workers get two fifteen minute breaks,

17
00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,720
Speaker 1: much of which can be taken up by just walking

18
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,040
Speaker 1: to the toilet through the first expanse of the warehouse.

19
00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,240
Speaker 1: All over the world, workers have voiced anger at these

20
00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:15,039
Speaker 1: ridiculous working conditions. Yet, as the Amazon pyramid climbs problems continue.

21
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,520
Speaker 1: Amazon has been spying on customers through various different home

22
00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,680
Speaker 1: security platforms. They've also been union busting, and the court

23
00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,360
Speaker 1: recently has ruled that their tactics were actually illegal. They

24
00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,600
Speaker 1: don't want their workers to organize. If that wasn't bad enough,

25
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,120
Speaker 1: they've done deals with the intelligence agencies in the US

26
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,920
Speaker 1: and the UK, specifically the CIA and m I six.

27
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,399
Speaker 1: Amazon is not the people friendly company it claims to be.

28
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,800
Speaker 1: I'm Jake Hanrahan. With this new series, I'll be looking

29
00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,600
Speaker 1: into the many scandals at the heart of Amazon. Listen

30
00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,480
Speaker 1: to Megacorps on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

31
00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:09,080
Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.