Politicians press Amazon on pay and conditions after investigation at Fife warehouse

Politicians urged Amazon to address persistent concern around pay and conditions after an investigation at the online giant’s Fife warehouse.

Our special report published last week detailed the experience of an undercover reporter spending a week on night shift at the Dunfermline centre in November.

We found a perfunctory ­recruitment process, fears over the insecurity of employment, concerns about working conditions, and evidence of staff being electronically tracked to monitor performance.

‘Welcome to hell, mate’: What’s it really like to work for Amazon?

Unions have been battling to gain a foothold in Amazon and members of the GMB union could hold the first strike at a Coventry depot where they have backed industrial action in support of a £15-an-hour pay claim.

STUC leader Roz Foyer said: “The conditions at Amazon warehouses invite comparison with the dark satanic mills of previous centuries. It is inspiring to see Amazon workers coming together to challenge the bosses. But we also need government to tighten up employment law.”

Amazon said: “The comment on dark satanic mills is ridiculous. We’re immensely proud of the safe, modern workplaces we offer with competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and great career development opportunities. We encourage everyone to come and see what it’s really like behind the scenes at Amazon by signing up for a free tour at Dunfermline.”

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But Scottish Lib Dem ­economy spokesman Willie Rennie said Amazon must address concerns raised by the report, adding: “There needs to be a greater look into working practices across the UK to ensure our employment law is strong enough to protect workers.”

The Scottish Government said: “While employment law is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government urges employers to provide workers with a fair wage, and a safe and secure working environment through our Fair Work First policy. We call on employers to promote diverse and inclusive workplace cultures where staff can have effective engagement with employers.”