New York prosecutor sues Amazon for labor negligence in pandemic

The attorney general said that since last March “it is clear that Amazon has placed more value on profits than on people and has failed to guarantee the health and safety of its workers” and lamented that the workers who make the country work “are the worst treated. “

In anticipation of James’ lawsuit, Amazon filed a lawsuit last Friday against the attorney general herself, accusing her of not taking into account the information that the company provided about the treatment of employees during the pandemic and of subjecting the group to a fate. blackmail.

The company asked a federal judge to rule that the New York prosecutor’s office does not have jurisdiction to take these matters to court.

Amazon employees demonstrated several times in the spring in front of one of the company’s warehouses in the Staten Island district of New York, criticizing the management for not having sufficiently protected them against COVID-19.

Amazon then claimed to have done more than necessary to limit the risks of contagion, establishing distance between employees and tripling the frequency of cleaning the premises. The prosecution then began to investigate the matter.

In late April, James sent a letter to the e-commerce giant after concluding that the protection measures were “inadequate.”

The prosecutor demanded a series of concessions from the company and said it would sue Amazon in court if it did not comply with them. It’s what he did this Wednesday.

James demanded, among other things, that the platform redistribute more of its profits, subsidize public transportation for employees and lower their work rates and performance indicators.

The prosecutor indicated that the investigation would continue, and reserved the possibility of subsequently going to a judge.

Amazon claims to have proposed these subsidies, but claims that it met with the refusal of the New York transportation authorities. The company also claims to have reduced its work rate given the limitations of the pandemic.

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