Hi,

I would ordinarily post this in the BS section, but it does relate to Mudcat because we have links to Amazon, and get money from Amazon if people use the Mudcat link to them. To me, that is a valid reason for this to be "upstairs". If the powers that be disagree, I guess it will get moved below the line, but I'm hoping it won't be...

Personally, I am SO glad to see a petition on this! I have read some articles on how Amazon's workers are treated (not just in the UK - it's even worse in the US) and was truly appalled--so much so that I have decided not to use them any more.

Workers assigned to books get an electric shock every time they touch a book (due to static electricity - but much more painful than the itty bitty shocks we get from a charged carpet). A man who missed a day of work because his wife was in hospital having a baby was fired...

Here's a link for anyone who wants to read more on the subject (thanks to Thompson for posting this link in a previous thread):

I Was a Warehouse Wage Slave
My brief, backbreaking, rage-inducing, low-paying, dildo-packing time inside the online-shipping machine.

And here's the e-mail I received from the Care2 Petition Site:

As the holiday season gets closer and stores get more crowded, you may find yourself relying on Internet shopping more and more. But too often, we forget that the convenience of buying Gran a new mixer with the click of a button comes with a price -- the safety and health of warehouse workers.

While secretly filming for the BBC and working for Amazon UK, undercover reporter Adam Littler had to fill orders relayed by a monitor mounted to his trolley. The monitor counted down the minimal seconds given to finish each task and find products stored in this huge, 800,000-square-foot facility. The menacing monitor also beeped every time he fell short of expectations and then snitched to management when his performance wasn't up to par. Adam then got a reprimand. At the end of the day, he was physically and emotionally exhausted -- and unlike his temporary colleagues, he didn't have to come back the next day.

The health and safety of Amazon's workers are being sacrificed to make a quick profit. Someone has to stand up to tell Amazon that getting a pair of kitchen scissors in time for Christmas dinner isn't anywhere as important as keeping Brits safe.

Tell Amazon to treat its workers like humans, not like robots!

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Now, all we need is a petition for the US site (I know - and all the other countries where Amazon is - but the US is a good start!)

Thanks to all who care...