Amazon's 1,900 employees to protest layoffs, WFO mandate, climate impact in mass walkout
The protest by the amazon employees comes a week after Amazon's annual shareholder meeting and a month after a policy took effect returning workers to the office three days per week
PremiumAmazon employees are protesting the company's massive layoffs which saw a gargantuan number -27000 employees forced to leave. The employees are set to stage walkout protesting the company's lack of progress on climate goals and an inequitable return-to-office mandate during a lunchtime demonstration at its Seattle headquarters.
The protest by the amazon employees comes a week after Amazon's annual shareholder meeting and a month after a policy took effect returning workers to the office three days per week. Previously, team leaders were allowed to determine how their charges worked.
The employees chanted their disappointment with the pace of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint — "Emissions climbing, time to act" — and urged Amazon to return authority to team leaders when it comes to work location, reported AP.
Organizers estimated more than 1,900 employees pledged to walk out around the world, with about 900 in Seattle.
Amazon employees oppose WFO mandate
Amazon made it mandatory for employees to return to office. They are required to work from office at least three days a week, starting 1 May. This was announced by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in a blogpost. He stated, “It’s easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture when we’re in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues."
He also added that collaborating, learning and inventing is easier and more effective when we’re in person. Jassy also added, “Teams tend to be better connected to one another when they see each other in person more frequently."
Amazon employees protest layoffs
Amazon’s workforce, in warehouses and offices, doubled to more than 1.6 million in about two years. But demand slowed as the worst of the pandemic eased. The company last year began pausing or canceling warehouse expansion plans and has cut 27,000 jobs since November. As per the company CEO, this is the biggest layoff in the history of the e-commerce platform.
Jassy spoke about the company-wide job cuts in a memo recently. He stated, “Over the last several months, we took a deep look across the company, business by business, invention by invention, and asked ourselves whether we had conviction about each initiative’s long-term potential to drive enough revenue, operating income, free cash flow, and return on invested capital. In some cases, it led to us shuttering certain businesses."
Employees protest Amazon's climate impact
The employees chanted their disappointment with the pace of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint — "Emissions climbing, time to act" — and urged Amazon to return authority to team leaders when it comes to work location.
As per the statement by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ) and Amazon's Remote Advocacy community leaders “The walkout is on! About 1,816 employees have pledged to walk out around the world so far, with 873 in Seattle. Please join 1,816 of our coworkers (and counting) and pledge to walk out."
In an annual statement to investors, Amazon said it aims to deploy 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon by 2040. But activists say the company must do more and commit to zero emissions by 2030.
(With inputs from agencies)
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