Jeff Bezos has thanked staff at an Amazon warehouse and a Whole Foods in Dallas after spate of strikes and sick-outs over working conditions during the pandemic.
The world’s richest man was filmed taking a temperature check and wearing a mask on his surprise visit to the facilities on Wednesday. He is seen waving to staff and thanking them, telling one: ‘I can’t shake your hand. It’s a hard habit to break.’
Amazon has faced a spate of strikes and sick-outs over working conditions as employees test positive for the coronavirus and others ask for more protections.
Five senators have written to Amazon founder Bezos after worker Chris Smalls was fired from his job following a protest at the company’s Staten Island plant. In the letter they express ‘continued concern about working conditions at Amazon’.
An internal document leaked, in which Amazon’s general counsel described Smalls as ‘not smart, or articulate.’
The company has since said it testing the use of disinfectant fog at the warehouse in Staten Island.
Jeff Bezos was filmed taking a temperature check and wearing a mask on his surprise visit
Jeff Bezos has was filmed thanking staff an Amazon warehouse and a Whole Foods in Dallas after spate of strikes and sick-outs over working conditions during the pandemic
Bezos was seen waving to staff and thanking them, telling one: ‘I can’t shake your hand. It’s a hard habit to break.’ He visited a Whole Food in Dallas, according to reports
The virus has led to at least 436,510 cases across America – including workers at more than 50 Amazon facilities, according to a New York Times report.
Amazon posted the footage of Bezos visiting the store and factory on Wednesday.
The retail giant had earlier confirmed it is now tracking its warehouse staff and will fire them for failing to socially distance themselves from their co-workers.
An Amazon spokesman told DailyMail.com they are taking ‘intense measures’ to ensure safety, adding: ‘We’ve had some instances of employees intentionally violating our clear guidelines on social distancing at our sites, which endangers both the individual and their colleagues.’
It is understood workers will be warned if they are caught failing to follow the new rules. They may then be fired if are found to have broken them for a second time.
The spokesman added: ‘Individuals who intentionally violate our social distancing guidelines will receive two warnings – on the second documented offense, termination may occur.’
Jordan Flowers holds a sign protesting at the Amazon building in Staten Island on March 30
Breana Avelar, a processing assistant, holds a sign outside the Amazon DTW1 fulfillment center in Romulus, Mich. on April 1. Employees are protesting in response what they say is the company’s failure to protect the health of its employees amid the COVID-19 outbreak
In California fast food workers also went on strike Thursday. Employees from chains including Burger King, Taco Bell, Popeye’s, are thought to have taken part.
GE workers across the country had protested Wednesday to ask that they are given the tools to make ventilators to help patients.
‘Instead of laying workers off, GE should be stepping up to the plate with us to build the ventilators this country needs,’ Carl Kennebrew, president of the Industrial Division of the Communications Workers of America said.
Workers at Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s in Boston united to protest against working conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday.
The grocery store employees joined forces with customers to demand ‘adequate protections’, NBC Boston reports. The group met in a Whole Foods parking lot where they stood apart to protest.
And staff at an Amazon delivery facility in Chicago protested Saturday, looking for more protections as they work. Police who broke up the vehicular picket were told they should be ‘ashamed’ of themselves, Patch.com reports.
Their colleagues in New York City also walked out last week and one worker was fired after protesting at the Staten Island facility.
Communications Workers of America members carry signs that read ‘Protect Our Lives! Protect America!’ as they take part in a protest to demand General Electric accelerate crisis response by manufacturing ventilators at GE plants including the plant in Lynn, Massachusetts
IUE-CWA union GE (General Electric) workers take part in protest demanding the company to use the workforce to produce ventilators and demanding more safety measures amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Lynn, Massachusetts on Wednesday
Grocery and warehouse workers – many in low-wage jobs – are manning the frontlines amid worldwide lockdowns, their work deemed essential to keep food and critical goods flowing.
They are insisting employers pay them more and provide masks, gloves, gowns and access to testing.
To alleviate the concerns of some their workers Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, said it is rolling out face masks and temperature checks at all its U.S. and European warehouses by next week.
Their protest comes after the deaths of at least four grocery workers across the United States.
Two Walmart employees at the same Chicago-area store, a Trader Joe’s worker in New York, and a greeter at a Maryland Giant grocery store passed away in the last two weeks.
