Amazon workers told to work overtime to meet coronavirus demand
Workers at Amazon’s warehouses in the UK are being told to work overtime as the company meets the surge in demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The GMB union said workers across at least four different sites were informed that they had to work “compulsory overtime” from Monday, according to the BBC.
Amazon will also hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the US to cope with a surge in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.
As the pandemic worsens and more and more countries go into effective lockdown, consumers are turning to online shopping to stock up.
In a blog post, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark, said the company would welcome people who had been working in the hospitality and entertainment industries who are now out of work. The 100,000 new roles are both full-time and part-time jobs in Amazon’s US fulfilment centres and delivery network.
The company also said it would grant workers a pay rise of $2 per hour worked through April, £2 per hour in the UK, and approximately €2 per hour in many EU countries.
Restaurants, pubs and theatres have been particularly affected by the global pandemic as governments urge citizens to practice “social distancing” and avoid non-essential contact.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Brits should avoid restaurants and bars to mitigate the impact of coronavirus, but did not go so far as forcing them to close. It has sparked outrage as small business owners claim they are unable to claim insurance.
US supermarket chains, including Albertsons, Kroger and Raley’s are following Amazon’s lead, as they hire extra workers as online demand rises.
Last week Amazon said it would provide up to two weeks of pay to all employees diagnosed with the virus. It has also set up a $25m fund to support its independent delivery service partners and drivers.
Online supermarket Ocado is also facing growing demand for products, with reports that delivery slots have been booked out for weeks. Shares in Ocado are up 8.39 per cent.