MP Thomas Docherty worked a shift at Amazon’s delivery fulfilment centre in Dunfermline and admitted he had struggled to hit performance targets.
The Labour politician worked at the plant on the day shift on Friday from 7.45am to 6.30pm and commented afterwards, “It’s exhausting.” He had asked to work at the site following a string of complaints from former employees about the way they were treated there.
The Press has reported on concerns over the American retail giant’s alleged ‘hire and fire’ culture, the use of employment agencies and temporary contracts.
In the latest case we highlighted a West Fife man who claimed he was accused of “skiving” after suffering an epileptic fit and stroke at work.
Mr Docherty spent the first part of his day in stowing products and the second in packing.
He said afterwards, “It’s really hard work, exhausting and clearly not for everybody. The targets are tough and I think I would struggle to meet them. I don’t think I’d be able to do it.
“At the same time it’s not like a galley, it’s not slave labour and I spoke to people who like working there, preferring it to other places they had worked locally and they felt the pay was good.” One of the issues raised by street pastor Tim McKinney, who went undercover at the plant to look into the claims of bad work practices, was the excessive heat.
Mr Docherty said, “They have just had new air conditioning installed, I believe, and I found it fine. I was working in casual clothes but others were wearing t-shirts and shorts.” The MP said the packing job he undertook was particularly challenging. “It’s very repetitive and the targets are hard to meet. I was packing larger books and boxes of groceries. My target was 80 items in an hour.
“People packing smaller items like CDs had a target of 200 in an hour and I certainly don’t think I’d be able to do that.” Mr Docherty and MSP Cara Hilton have previously urged the company to engage with the trade unions over recognition.
“I’m going to be speaking with the GMB union later this year. I’d like to see the company meet with them as well but that’s not something that’s going to happen overnight.
“I’m grateful to Amazon for the opportunity of seeing what it’s like to work there. I think they would admit they made mistakes early on in terms of keeping people on temporary contracts for too long.
“The company has also not done itself any favours PR-wise over its tax situation but it has 900 permanent staff here and a lot of people like working there.
“However, at the same time I wouldn’t have asked to work there if there weren’t these issues being raised regularly and all the stories going about.” Amazon’s giant facility – the size of 14 football pitches – was officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond in 2011 with the support of millions of pounds of Scottish Government funding.
However, from the start there have been concerns about the company’s track record on workers’ rights and conditions leading to protests outside the site by the GMB union with allegations of “exploitation” and a “Victorian” attitude to the workforce.
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