BBC News, 16
February 2013
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The Amazon warehouse at Bad Hersfeld featured prominently in the film |
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Germany is
demanding explanations from the online retail giant Amazon after a TV
documentary showed seasonal workers being harassed by security guards.
A TV
documentary by state broadcaster ARD said employees' rooms were searched, they
were frisked at breakfast and constantly watched.
Employment
Minister Ursula von der Leyen said some employment agencies could lose their
operating licences.
In a
statement, Amazon said it would follow up complaints.
"The
suspicion weighs heavily; therefore all facts must be put on the table as
quickly as possible," Mrs von der Leyen told the Welt am Sonntag
newspaper.
"If
the special investigation finds that there is some substance to the complaints
against the employment agencies, then their licences are in question."
The film
showed the living and working conditions of agency workers brought in to help
with the Christmas rush, principally at an Amazon warehouse in Bad Hersfeld, in
the state of Hesse.
It showed
staff living quarters in cramped holiday accommodation a long way from the
Amazon warehouse, which could only be reached by an unreliable bus service.
Many of the
temporary workers came from Spain and Poland. Workers from outside Germany were
shown as receiving the worst harassment from security guards from a private
firm, Hensel European Security Services (Hess).
Hess was
under contract to an employment agency, not to Amazon itself.
The firm
said it rejected allegations that it supported the far-right. However, it
confirmed its guards had carried out room searches.
In a
statement on Friday, Amazon said: "Our goal is to deliver orders quickly
and reliably to our customers.
"We
know this only works with a contented workforce... We will follow up each
incident in our logistics centres and their surroundings which is brought to
our attention by our staff, and if need be, will implement thorough
improvements."
Related Articles:
Amazon sacks security firm in German scandal
German labor minister weighs in on Amazon allegations
Amazon criticized over temp workers in Germany
Amazon sacks security firm in German scandal
German labor minister weighs in on Amazon allegations
Amazon criticized over temp workers in Germany
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