{"id":11749,"date":"2023-11-02T08:42:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T07:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/?post_type=news&p=11749"},"modified":"2023-11-02T08:48:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T07:48:30","slug":"un-expert-letter","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/news\/un-expert-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"UN poverty expert raises concerns over worker treatment by Amazon and others"},"content":{"rendered":"

In letters to the CEOs of global corporations including Amazon\u2019s Andy Jassey<\/a> as well as the leaders of DoorDash and Walmart, Olivier De Schutter, the UN-appointed authority on extreme poverty and human rights<\/b>, is seeking explanations about allegations of \u201c<\/span>inadequate pay, aggressive union-busting tactics, and the misclassification of workers as\u00a0<\/span><\/i>‘<\/span><\/i>independent contractors<\/span><\/i>.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

De Schutter voiced his alarm, stating, \u201cI am extremely disturbed that workers in some of the world’s most profitable companies \u2013 in one of the richest countries on earth \u2013 are struggling to afford to eat or pay their rent<\/i><\/span>,\u201d said Mr. De Schutter.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

“Violations of workers\u2019 rights are violations of human rights, and it is encouraging to see a UN independent expert holding some of the worst offenders accountable,\u201d\u00a0Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union<\/b>\u00a0in response to these letters. \u201cWhether it’s the right to organize or the right to a safe job, Amazon\u2019s track record in the United States is abysmal, but unfortunately, they\u2019ve exported their brutal business model around the world. That is why there is a growing movement to make Amazon respect unions and pay a decent wage<\/i>.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Citing a recent UN report highlighting the increasing number of “working poor” in the United States, De Schutter expressed concern over the prevalence of non-standard employment contracts contributing to in-job poverty. He also referenced a US government study which identified the three companies as top employers of individuals using government-based medical and food aids. \u201cJobs are supposed to provide a pathway out of poverty, yet in all three companies the business model seems to be to shift operating costs onto the public by relying on government benefits to supplement miserably low wages<\/i>,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Further, De Schutter pointed out the challenges faced by Amazon and Walmart employees in bargaining for better wages, attributing it to the companies’ union-busting tactics. These corporations are reportedly investing heavily to thwart employee unionization efforts. The expert remarked, \u201cAccording to the information received, Amazon has a long history of antiunion action at warehouses. This includes constant and continuous anti-union messaging to workers at its \u201ccaptive audience meetings\u201d, aggressive objection to election outcomes, and a narrative that workers will be better off dealing directly with Amazon rather than through a union<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are nominated by the UN Human Rights Council to scrutinize and report on specific human rights topics or nation-specific situations. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In letters to the CEOs of global corporations including Amazon\u2019s Andy Jassey as well as the leaders of DoorDash and Walmart, Olivier De Schutter, the UN-appointed authority on extreme poverty and human rights, is seeking explanations about allegations of \u201cinadequate pay, aggressive union-busting tactics, and the misclassification of workers as\u00a0‘independent contractors.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11751,"template":"","categories":[41,163],"global-issues":[],"sectors":[11],"cross-sector-groups":[],"workers-rights":[31],"regions":[],"topics":[48],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUN poverty expert raises concerns over worker treatment by Amazon and others<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In letters to the CEOs of global corporations including Amazon\u2019s Andy Jassey as well as the leaders of DoorDash and Walmart, Olivier De Schutter, the UN-appointed authority on extreme poverty and human rights, is seeking explanations about 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