Opinion: The true cost of all your Amazon deliveries


A delivery person pushes a cart full of Amazon boxes in New York City, US. For all of its Kiva warehousing robots and efforts with drone distribution, Amazon still depends on hundreds of thousands of human workers around the world. — Reuters

Coronavirus self-isolation is fostering a growing dependency on Amazon.com Inc. But it’s also refocusing attention on the human cost of having the entire stock of the "Everything Store” merely a click and a day away from your front doorstep.

Amazon workers at a fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York are on strike, saying the company has not been responsive to safety concerns and demanding that the facility be closed for two weeks and sanitized. In Italy, Amazon reached an agreement with workers last week to provide additional virus containment measures and end an 11-day strike. Elsewhere, France’s labour minister has demanded an improvement to the working environment for the firm’s employees, saying that "protection conditions are insufficient”.

Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

How the EU transformed tech
Nigeria sets dangerous precedent by detaining Binance execs, CEO says
Online retailer Zalando returns to growth thanks to premium brands
Amazon launches online shopping service in South Africa
Nintendo to announce next Switch by March as original sputters
Details of UK military personnel exposed in huge payroll data breach
Scammers stole homeowners’ identities and sold their houses ‘out from under them’, US feds say
Exclusive - Microsoft hit with Spanish startups' complaint about cloud practices
Is China the target of new US global cyberspace and digital technology strategy?
International Baccalaureate taking ‘appropriate and timely measures’ to remove online posts containing leaked exam questions after outrage

Others Also Read