Amazon ‘hands out thank-you t-shirts to warehouse staff’ as company ends coronavirus wage hike
AMAZON is handing out 'thank you' t-shirts to warehouse workers after the company calls an end to the coronavirus wage rise.
The branded merchandise which read "thanks to you" and "together we'll deliver" are to say thanks to staff who have been working during the coronavirus pandemic.
The e-commerce giant has reported distributed the t-shirts to its warehouse workers, otherwise known as 'fulfillment associates'.
One worker based in Indiana shared a picture of the shirt they received.
Printed on the front are the words "Thanks to you" and the back reads "Together, we'll deliver."
'TOGETHER, WE'LL DELIVER'
The workers said the t-shirts were distributed last week and were placed in a room where workers were told they would go in to pick the size they wanted.
But some Amazon employees weren't too impressed.
"With states opening up and over 21 cases at our warehouse so far and at least one death at the Indianapolis warehouse, it's a slap in the face," they told
Another employee told the publication that similar t-shirts had been given out at their warehouse in Texas, but as they did not work on the warehouse floor they didn't receive a t-shirt.
"All I can say was that it felt like they are trying to change the narrative that is reflected in the news, as it looks negatively upon the company," the employee explained.
"While I hate to sound ungrateful for anything, putting a big 'Thank you' on the shirt was a clear indication they wanted to sway our thoughts. It just didn't feel sincere," they added.
... It felt like they are trying to change the narrative that is reflected in the news.
Amazon employee
The news comes as Amazon announced it would be cutting the $2 per hour wage hike introduced for staff in mid-March.
The pay was granted in recognition of working in hazardous conditions during the pandemic, and equated to a $2 wage increase and double overtime pay.
At the end of April Amazon also ended the offer of unlimited unpaid time off (UPT), a policy first brought in to help warehouse employees handle the pressures of working during the pandemic.
To cope with the increased demand, Amazon went on a huge 175,000 worker hiring spree and brought in increased cleaning and social-distancing measures.
during the pandemic, thanks to people turning to online shopping in lockdown.
The company has seen a huge spike in demand caused by customers stuck at home.
Jeff Bezos, who owns an 11.2 per cent stake in Amazon, saw his wealth surge upwards from around $125billion in March.
Amazon has enjoyed a 28 per cent increase revenue during the coronavirus crisis, though its profits have been hit by the spending $4bn in response to the outbreak
Earlier this month, Amazon engineer and vice president Tim Bray ripped the company's "chickens**t firing of coronavirus whistleblowers" in an open letter.
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Mr Bray quit after working for the e-commerce giant for over five years, due to their handling of the pandemic.
After his resignation, Bray published an open letter titled "Bye, Amazon" on his personal blog explaining his decision.
Bray, who worked as a VP for Amazon Web Services, wrote: "I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19."
And a worker at an Amazon warehouse in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where employees warned about a lack of social distancing has died of the coronavirus.
At least seven Amazon workers have died of COVID-19 amid concerns workers are being silenced for raising safety concerns.
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