Working at an English sweatshop....
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:25 pmI have worked my first week at a new Amazon distribution centre in Hemel Hempstead, and I must admit, since in most my previous jobs I worked at a desk, I found the conditions shocking....
My 17-year old daughter, who is a left-leaning sixth former, remarked, "Now you know what the proletariat have to put up with!"
She suggested I write a blog, but since this is the only place where I talk about these things, I thought I would start a thread on it instead....
WEEK ONE
I worked most of the past decade as a media officer/press officer/communications manager in England, but when I was made redundant from my last job a couple of years ago, the economy was so bad that I not only found it hard to get a new job, I even found it hard to get an interview! We lost our house, and now live in rented accommodation. Much to my chagrin, I had to go on Jobseekers, but the attitude of their advisers is annoying - they often behave as if it's your fault you can't find a job.
One day, my adviser told me that there was an open day at the Centre, and told me I needed to attend, if I wanted to continue getting my benefits. That was unnecessary, since I was planning to attend anyway, but that attitude says more about the JC than anything else. When I attended, an adviser told me that Amazon were recruiting admin staff, and introduced me to the recruiter. Of course, I was interested - I would do any admin job right now!
Then, David Cameron visited the newly-opened Hemel Hempstead site, and the articles in the newspapers spoke about Amazon providing jobs in computing, human resources and management - I can do that, I said....
So, I went through the application process, but when I arrived for the evening shift on Sunday, I was shocked to find out that we were all being put on desks to pack boxes for minimum wage! I packed the latest novels by Martina Cole, the latest textbooks in many subjects, Xboxes, and many more things. I thought the situation would change, but now that I've done a week, I can safely say that all I've done since arriving at Hemel Hempstead is pack hundreds of boxes. On the last day, the manager of the floor said to us, "Some of you had this strange idea that you would be working on computers (cue laughter), but you've signed up for physical work, and that's what you'll be getting."
I could've walked out then and there, but I don't want to go back on benefits - I want to work, so I'll stick it out. But this is easily the worst job I've ever worked at, either here or in the Caribbean.
1) Workers are treated as potential criminals first. At the induction on the first day, the security guy told us all the things we would be penalised for - a pretty long list! We're not allowed to carry our mobile phones into the floor, no wallets, no keys - everything has to fit in the smallest locker I have ever seen. On the third day, one of my colleagues accidentally carried in his cheap £10 T-Mobile phone, and he was given a warning, and entered into the system as a troublemaker - naturally, he was not amused. Accessing the internet can lead to instant dismissal, so there's no contact with the outside world, including your family, for the eight hours you work there. The only time you can find out what's happening outside is during your lunch break. That's another issue....
2) The lunch break is only half an hour. This is the first place I've worked at where the lunch break is less than an hour. By the time you queue up to go thru the metal detectors, and are frisked by security guards who relish insulting you, ten minutes out of that lunch break is gone. No canteen services are provided, no cooked lunches, and there's nowhere nearby where you can buy a meal, so you either buy food from expensive vending machines, or you carry your own and put it in the miniscule locker. I carry my own, but when I collect it from the locker, I have to queue up to use on the few functioning microwaves, and by the time I'm ready to eat, half of the break is gone. So, I have to wolf down my food in time to make it back to work. If you're even a minute late, the swipecard you have to use records it, and it goes on your record. Half a dozen lates, and that's instant dismissal.
3) The work is back-breaking...my back is still sore from doing work I've never done before in my life. You stand at a table that is too low for you, so you have to bend to work at it. No chairs are provided, so you have to stand the entire eight hours (excluding the half-hour lunch break, of course). If you try to find somewhere to sit for five minutes, and you're caught doing so, you can be disciplined. So, on my last day of the week, I cottoned on to the idea of going to the toilets, just so that I can sit on the seat, and rest my aching feet. In addition to the back and the feet, my hands are sore, I've hurt my right wrist, and I have cuts on my forearms from packing boxes after boxes.
4) The conditions of the warehouse are barely acceptable. During the hot days of August, several workers fainted, and had to be taken to receive first aid. But the work went on.... It's just a huge zinc warehouse, with no air-conditioning and no heating, so working there in December should be fun - if I last that long! During one of my days there, the smell of glue was so strong that some of my colleagues started to feel ill. The solution? You will get used to it....
5) Because this warehouse is located in the heart of the industrial compound, public transportation is poor. I'm among those who drive there, but quite a few workers have to take buses or trains to get there. But these buses and trains have a limited run, and the last bus/train is usually shortly after the last shift finishes. But does Amazon bus workers to meet these important connections? No, they just don't care....I've seen dozens of workers queuing up to use a woefully-inadequate number of two swipe stations, which takes more than ten minutes to do, and run the risk of missing their bus/train home. So, when they go to the swipe station a couple of minutes early, they get shouted at by managers who claim their wasted valuable company time by clocking out early.
I've seen managers talk to workers in a very disrespectful way, and if any of them talk to me like that, I'm not going to take it - I'm going to give it right back to them. I don't care if they fire me: in fact, I would probably feel a sense of relief if they do. Because the money that they're paying is so low that it probably makes more sense to stay on benefits....
But, as I've said before, I don't want to be labelled a scrounger, so I'm going to stick it out as long as I can, and tell you about Week Two in an English sweatshop....
My 17-year old daughter, who is a left-leaning sixth former, remarked, "Now you know what the proletariat have to put up with!"
She suggested I write a blog, but since this is the only place where I talk about these things, I thought I would start a thread on it instead....
WEEK ONE
I worked most of the past decade as a media officer/press officer/communications manager in England, but when I was made redundant from my last job a couple of years ago, the economy was so bad that I not only found it hard to get a new job, I even found it hard to get an interview! We lost our house, and now live in rented accommodation. Much to my chagrin, I had to go on Jobseekers, but the attitude of their advisers is annoying - they often behave as if it's your fault you can't find a job.
One day, my adviser told me that there was an open day at the Centre, and told me I needed to attend, if I wanted to continue getting my benefits. That was unnecessary, since I was planning to attend anyway, but that attitude says more about the JC than anything else. When I attended, an adviser told me that Amazon were recruiting admin staff, and introduced me to the recruiter. Of course, I was interested - I would do any admin job right now!
Then, David Cameron visited the newly-opened Hemel Hempstead site, and the articles in the newspapers spoke about Amazon providing jobs in computing, human resources and management - I can do that, I said....
So, I went through the application process, but when I arrived for the evening shift on Sunday, I was shocked to find out that we were all being put on desks to pack boxes for minimum wage! I packed the latest novels by Martina Cole, the latest textbooks in many subjects, Xboxes, and many more things. I thought the situation would change, but now that I've done a week, I can safely say that all I've done since arriving at Hemel Hempstead is pack hundreds of boxes. On the last day, the manager of the floor said to us, "Some of you had this strange idea that you would be working on computers (cue laughter), but you've signed up for physical work, and that's what you'll be getting."
I could've walked out then and there, but I don't want to go back on benefits - I want to work, so I'll stick it out. But this is easily the worst job I've ever worked at, either here or in the Caribbean.
1) Workers are treated as potential criminals first. At the induction on the first day, the security guy told us all the things we would be penalised for - a pretty long list! We're not allowed to carry our mobile phones into the floor, no wallets, no keys - everything has to fit in the smallest locker I have ever seen. On the third day, one of my colleagues accidentally carried in his cheap £10 T-Mobile phone, and he was given a warning, and entered into the system as a troublemaker - naturally, he was not amused. Accessing the internet can lead to instant dismissal, so there's no contact with the outside world, including your family, for the eight hours you work there. The only time you can find out what's happening outside is during your lunch break. That's another issue....
2) The lunch break is only half an hour. This is the first place I've worked at where the lunch break is less than an hour. By the time you queue up to go thru the metal detectors, and are frisked by security guards who relish insulting you, ten minutes out of that lunch break is gone. No canteen services are provided, no cooked lunches, and there's nowhere nearby where you can buy a meal, so you either buy food from expensive vending machines, or you carry your own and put it in the miniscule locker. I carry my own, but when I collect it from the locker, I have to queue up to use on the few functioning microwaves, and by the time I'm ready to eat, half of the break is gone. So, I have to wolf down my food in time to make it back to work. If you're even a minute late, the swipecard you have to use records it, and it goes on your record. Half a dozen lates, and that's instant dismissal.
3) The work is back-breaking...my back is still sore from doing work I've never done before in my life. You stand at a table that is too low for you, so you have to bend to work at it. No chairs are provided, so you have to stand the entire eight hours (excluding the half-hour lunch break, of course). If you try to find somewhere to sit for five minutes, and you're caught doing so, you can be disciplined. So, on my last day of the week, I cottoned on to the idea of going to the toilets, just so that I can sit on the seat, and rest my aching feet. In addition to the back and the feet, my hands are sore, I've hurt my right wrist, and I have cuts on my forearms from packing boxes after boxes.
4) The conditions of the warehouse are barely acceptable. During the hot days of August, several workers fainted, and had to be taken to receive first aid. But the work went on.... It's just a huge zinc warehouse, with no air-conditioning and no heating, so working there in December should be fun - if I last that long! During one of my days there, the smell of glue was so strong that some of my colleagues started to feel ill. The solution? You will get used to it....
5) Because this warehouse is located in the heart of the industrial compound, public transportation is poor. I'm among those who drive there, but quite a few workers have to take buses or trains to get there. But these buses and trains have a limited run, and the last bus/train is usually shortly after the last shift finishes. But does Amazon bus workers to meet these important connections? No, they just don't care....I've seen dozens of workers queuing up to use a woefully-inadequate number of two swipe stations, which takes more than ten minutes to do, and run the risk of missing their bus/train home. So, when they go to the swipe station a couple of minutes early, they get shouted at by managers who claim their wasted valuable company time by clocking out early.
I've seen managers talk to workers in a very disrespectful way, and if any of them talk to me like that, I'm not going to take it - I'm going to give it right back to them. I don't care if they fire me: in fact, I would probably feel a sense of relief if they do. Because the money that they're paying is so low that it probably makes more sense to stay on benefits....
But, as I've said before, I don't want to be labelled a scrounger, so I'm going to stick it out as long as I can, and tell you about Week Two in an English sweatshop....
