ALEXANDRIA. «Non we ask for money. What interests us most is to have a secure job ». Yesterday morning March 22 Filt Cgil, Fit-Cisl and Uiltrasporti demonstrated throughout Italy against the heavy work rates that Amazon and its algorithm impose on employees.
They also arrived in Alexandria, exactly one month after the protest in front of the Fubine storage center. “The reasons are always the same, because Amazon had promised to meet us but never made itself heard” explains Marco Cascia, driver of the Fubine center and Uiltraporti trade unionist.
He and his colleagues take care of deliveries: every day they leave the warehouse and drive throughout the province of Alessandria, going to Turin, Cuneo and Lombardy. Within the time limit of three minutes per stage they must leave the established packages. “But the stops continue to increase – explains Cascia -. Now we have reached 170 daily. Amazon had assured us that it would reduce them. He did the opposite ».
To stay on time, the drivers have to run down the street, trying to recover the minutes of the algorithm. “We risk our own safety and that of others – admits the trade unionist -. Not to mention that fines and damage to the van are at our expense ». He adds: «We are also exposed to Covid. Every time we deliver a package we don’t know if we are facing possible infections “.
Even if the first and most important request is safety at work, for Amazon employees the economic issue is no less important: «We are asking for the employment contract to be stabilized. There are 50-year-olds hired for 3 months and then left at home. Amazon cannot continue to exploit us in this way ».