But staff say that’s too low for the kind of work being done and given the current financial crisis, especially at a company that just posted $121bn (£100bn) in revenue in the second quarter of 2022 alone. Some staff are demanding a £2 an hour pay rise from the tech giant. In addition to poor wage offers, workers complain about conditions that lock staff in cages for entire shifts at the warehouses. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA “I can see people staying in the canteen all the time because they can’t afford to go home.” “It’s a Chinese patisserie in the UK,” said the second Tilbury worker. “That’s how they built their model.” The Bristol warehouse worker says managers used to prevent employees from lifting heavy items from bins on high shelves in the ladder-less warehouse. “If you overextend yourself for 10 hours, you’re going to end up with a bad neck and a bad back,” he said. That later changed, as staff said they felt pressured to meet ever-increasing demand. Staff pushing carts around the warehouse were limited to one cart at a time for safety reasons. It is now being claimed that managers are turning a blind eye to staff pulling two prams at the same time. “They don’t say anything because all they care about is getting the job done as quickly as possible,” he said. “Safety goes out the window.” He says he has lifted personal items weighing up to 25kg by himself, despite rules that say anything heavier than 15kg must be lifted by two people. Two workers said they plan to leave the company because of conditions and pay. However, some hope to stand their ground – to change things.
