Amazon workers in Quebec worried about health and safety ahead of Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day is one of the company’s largest sales day, racking up billions of dollars in sales, according to estimates.
But some Amazon warehouse employees in Montreal say this kind of sales day is costing them their health.
Ibrahim Al Sahary says he had to get four stitches in his leg after he fell working at an Amazon warehouse. He said working at Amazon was “hell.”
“We have to be fast like a robot. So we say we’re not robots,” AlSahary said, who no longer works with the company, which he says overworked him.
Ahead of this year’s Amazon Prime Day on July 16, workers are concerned that their employers’ demands will go up and they’re health and safety will be further compromised.
Groups defending the rights of workers say there needs to be more accountability for companies like Amazon.
They want Quebec to call for a public and independent inquiry looking into the company’s’ work conditions.
Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.
They’re also asking for several aspects of Quebec’s labour law to be amended, such as expanding the definition of harassment.
“In the last two, three years, Amazon workers are overrepresented in the people who call us to ask for help,” says Félix Lapin a member of the Union of Injured Workers (UTTAM).
Lapin alleges Amazon prevents workers from filing injury claims with Quebec’s workplace safety board, which could lead to compensation and time off to recover.
He says that when there’s an injury, Amazon offers their in-house care services called AmCare.
“At AmCare they won’t encourage you to fill a claim to CNESST to declare the work accident, they will give you painkillers, they will offer you adjustments, they will offer you light temporary assignments, but outside of the system,” Lapin said.
Quebec’s labour minister, Jean Boulet, told Global News in an email that Amazon has an obligation to comply with the law and cannot prevent workers from accessing CNESST services.
“I invite injured Amazon workers to file a complaint with the CNESST. They can be assured that their complaint will be treated confidentially throughout the treatment process so as not to expose them to reprisals or disciplinary measures,” Boulet wrote in part.
However, Yanick Noiseux, a sociology professor with Université de Montreal, says many workers at Amazon are immigrants and don’t know their rights.
A report issued by Gireps, a group of university researchers which include Noiseux, recommended the CNESST fund education initiatives on labour rights so workers are more aware of their options. But Noiseux says that hasn’t happened yet.
In a statement to Global, Amazon denies allegations that they discourage employees from reporting injuries or seeking treatment, adding that they’ve reduced injuries at the workplace by 30 per cent since 2019 and are investing more money to improve safety.
“While we do experience higher order volumes during busy shopping periods, our commitment to safety doesn’t change. Safety is our top priority every single day, and we’re constantly working to ensure employees have safe, comfortable, and inclusive workplaces,” wrote Barbara Agrait, a spokesperson for Amazon.