Amazon is currently facing a lawsuit over workers not receiving adequate lunch breaks. The case which was transferred to the US District court California, Northern District on March 26th, got its first filing in San Francisco County Superior Court in February.
Former employee, Lovenia Scott is alleging that Amazon denied staff the required 30-minute meal-breaks for each 5-hour work period under Californian legislation. She claimes that the meal-breaks were shortened because time was spent by workers listening and responding to work-related obligations on their walkie-talkie. In addition, the lawsuit alleged workers were instructed to take a break if and when they could get it.
However, Lovenia, who worked in the Vacaville warehouse, confirmed that there were serious staffing issues and so much work being imposed on workers. “It was unlikely they would be able to take their breaks if they wanted to finish their work on time”, said Lovenia.
Amazon has been approached by ‘Insider’ to give a report on this.
These are not the only allegations over workers’ rights that Amazon has faces in recent weeks. The same issue of workers urinating in bottles in 2018 has re-surfaced. The case re-emerged after a Twitter spat between the company and Democratic Senators, including Bernie Sanders, over the matter.
A delivery driver in the Detroit area told insider that rather than urinate inside the vans, she used to hold it to the point of bladder infections. Amazon delivery drivers also reported that they had to defecate in bags and struggle to change menstrual pads.
Amazon has denied the allegations about workers urinating in bottles. The company tweeted saying if that were true then nobody would work for us.
However, there are documents that show the company was aware its drivers have been peeing inside bottles and also defecating in bags. This was published by ‘The Intercept’ on Thursday.
