‘Robots are treated better’: Amazon warehouse workers stage first-ever strike in the UK

Sadly that’s probably because robots are expensive to replace.

I work in a kitchen and I told my boss all summer that the staff were complaining about the heat and that heat stroke was a genuine possibility but it wasn’t until it was so hot that equipment started to fail that he bought an air conditioner and pointed it directly at the equipment.

At my local zoo they had these huts sprinkled around so you could buy tickets to ride the train or sky thing or tram. Anyway all summer it must have been hot at hell in these huts. Two years ago they replaced all the people with these shitty touch screen kiosks that are not intuitive and hard to use. They ended up building AC units because the computers kept overheating. I think about that a lot.

Where as I sympathize with what they are saying I only see this as Amazon pushing for more automation.

We should all be going on strike for every job until we take back workers rights. I’m a teacher and even I’m tired of making business people rich while I don’t even have insurance…

Warehouse workers will get replaced by robots sooner or later.

“Amazon has previously said its employees have the right to join or not join a union, but that it doesn’t believe unions are the best choice for its workers.”

What a totally expected insulting response.

A friend of mine was a software dev with Amazon.

He said it was a great place to work… For a robot.

I read: Robots at Amazon stage first strike.

You can’t pretend that robots are independent contractors or responsible for their own upkeep.

You have to spend money to ensure the robots keep working and if a robot breaks You have to actually spend money to repair or replace them.

Good for them and fuck Jeff Bezos.

Why dont you yell at the robots too?!!

Robots are expensive yes. They’ll just hire a new human for free.

Thats because the robots cost more

And here we are still buying from those companies if we can get the best deal….

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-origin-of-the-word-robot/

> Robot is drawn from an old Church Slavonic word, robota, for “servitude,” “forced labor” or “drudgery.”

These robots need to be taxed so that they are more expensive than humans.

I agree they are! They not only have free healthcare but their own personal doctor. A machine breaks down, it’s loved and taken care of. A human breaks down, get rid of em and replace them. These machines are valued at 100s of thousands to millions of dollars. Humans are expendable.

They could get all the concessions they want – every conceivable ask – and still they’re working for Amazon, who will find a way to make it toxic. Don’t work for Amazon.

yea….because the robots actually cost money. youre just a person. they can get another one. almost at no cost too

The title makes it sound like they are seeking to be treated like robots.

Being a well treated human in the Amazon gulag is … pathetic.

Robots receive regular offline preventative maintenance and if they don’t work properly the owner goes to great lengths to repair it.

Humans are lucky to get a bathroom break.

Every Amazon employee should quit and no one else go work there. Then just see what happens. Bet the economy improves with no Amazon.

They tell is drivers we’re vital and then don’t pay us what we’re worth. Warehouse workers get paid even less. Would love to unionize, but it will likely never happen thanks to the monetary power of a dude that pays NO TAXES!!!

Probably because they’re expensive and do the job they’re there to do. Not that every person is slacking, but it happens. Robots don’t use the bathroom, eat, get tired, sick, etc they’re dependable.

I don’t think robots get time off or pay so…

I’d be careful making such statements

I was very happy to learn how much money Amazon lost last year. I personally ended my Prime account back in 2020 when they took away student Prime pricing, replaced it with a cheaper plan for people on pandemic assistance. Never looked back. Hardly shop at Amazon at all anymore. I’m proud to say I’m a contributer to Amazon’s significant profit decline

As somebody else said, Amazon an all other companies should/want to automatize everything they can, yes it’s going to cost some jobs for some but I think in the end it will be better for everybody.

They should burn that place down. Fuck amazon

Which is what amazon wants, you to strike, them to bring in cheaper workers until they can replace you all with robots. All while taking more of the tax credits, laughing at you, knowing you will buy from them.

Robots actually work a hell of a lot better than your average worker, but that’s besides the point.

Just leave if you don’t like your job… You’re not a slave…

If I’m at a bar I don’t like, I leave. I don’t strike because they didn’t make a good old fashioned 😂

because robots are cheaper

People in the UK strike like it’s taking a bathroom break. No fear!