Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

Amazon's Bezos: Union defeat does not bring 'comfort'

Amazon's Bezos: Union defeat does not bring 'comfort'

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has said the company's recent victory in defeating a high-profile unionisation drive in the US did not bring him "comfort".

In his final letter to shareholders as the company's chief executive, he addressed concerns about the firm's treatment of its workers.

The comments follow a year of blistering global criticism of Amazon's work practices during the pandemic.

But Amazon decisively beat back the union effort, despite those complaints.

"Does your chair take comfort in the outcome of the recent union vote in Bessemer? No, he doesn't," wrote Mr Bezos, referring to the city in Alabama where the union drive occurred.

"I think we need to do a better job for our employees."

In the letter, Mr Bezos said he was proud of the work environment at Amazon, which employs 1.3 million people globally and hired 500,000 people in 2020 alone.

He said the company had led the way by setting $15-an-hour minimum wage, defended the firm's productivity targets for workers and disputed reports that staff feel so pressured to meet those expectations that they cannot take breaks.

"Despite what we've accomplished, it's clear to me that we need a better vision for our employees' success," said Mr Bezos, who is set to become executive chairman of the firm and relinquish the chief executive job.

Jeff Bezos said he was proud of work conditions at Amazon, which employs 1.3 million people globally

In his new role, Mr Bezos said, he would devote some of his attention to initiatives aimed at making Amazon "earth's best employer" and "earth's safest place to work", such as a programme that rotates staff to new jobs to avoid injuries caused by repeatedly doing the same physical task.

In a statement, Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which led the unionisation drive in Bessemer, said the comments showed the campaign had had a "devastating" impact on the firm's reputation, "regardless of the vote result".

"We have initiated a global debate about the way Amazon treats its employees. Bezos's admission today demonstrates that what we have been saying about workplace conditions is correct. But his admission won't change anything, workers need a union - not just another Amazon public relations effort in damage control," he said.

Amazon is not the only company under pressure to improve conditions for its staff.

Walmart, America's largest employer, on Wednesday said it would shift more of its US employees to full-time roles.

The move followed years of criticism of the firm's reliance on part-time retail workers. As a result, some staff have faced unpredictable schedules and lack benefits, such as health insurance.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
×