News

Berlin, 22nd May 2014

Against tough opposition Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos has today been voted worst boss in the world, beating off rivals from other serial workers rights offenders, including Walmart.

The poll organised by the ITUC and announced at the ITUC World Congress, saw Bezos emerge “victorious” among the 20,000 voters.

Commenting on Bezos’s accolade as the worst boss in the world, the General Secretary of UNI Global Union, Philip Jennings said, “We don’t accept the Amazon model of the new economy. Their model is unsustainable and is based on treating its workforce - permanent, part-time and temporary, as inhuman robots.”

“Bezos is seen as a great innovator but Amazon owes its success to a vision of the future which treats its staff as if they were 19th century factory workers. The Amazon model is a scam which takes public funds while mistreating that same public, siphons profits out of the countries to avoid paying tax and creates a culture of precarious jobs. There is nothing fulfilling about working at Amazon’s so-called “fulfilment” distribution centres.

“He represents the image of the new economy in the worst possible way and that is why this large public vote called him out as the worst boss on the planet. Who knows how many of Amazon’s 15,000 work force in Germany added their voice against him! Bezos won because if we, the people, do not stand up to the Amazon vision of the new economy no one else will, not governments and certainly not businesses themselves.

“We’ve changed the global supply chain with the Bangladesh Accord and we will do it again with Amazon. United we are a powerful voice for the working people of the world, including Amazon’s staff both permanent and temporary. We don’t underestimate the challenge but the labour movement with the support of the wider social movement, including many leading NGOs, will win.”

“UNI and all our partners from the union movement and across the broader social society urge Amazon shareholders and investors at the company’s AGM tonight to sit up and take notice. They must apply pressure for change from within and we will provide it from without,” Jennings concluded.

Some of the reasons why Jeff Bezos won worst boss in the world:

• Amazon treats its staff like robots, forcing them to work under enormous stress for long hours in poor conditions
• Amazon workers at distribution centres required to wear digital arm-mounted terminals monitoring their every move
• No agreed protocols on breaks and speed
• Amazon culture spreads bullying and harassment

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Richard Elliott on Tel:  +41 22 365 21 30 or richard.elliott@uniglobalunion.org