Amazon has reportedly announced plans to shut down three of the company's warehouses in the UK ( it has over 30 in total in the country), which will affect many employees (at least 1,200 jobs).
Workers at Amazon's facilities in Doncaster, Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire and Gourock in western Scotland will be transferred to other company.
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Certainly, most of the 300 workers at the site will not be thrilled with this change, as there is no other Amazon facility nearby, as is the case with the factories in Doncaster and Hertfordshire.
Amazon has decided to close the old warehouses as it prepares to open new depots in Peddimore in the West Midlands and Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. The new depots will employ 2,500 people.
GMB Union trade unionist Steve Garelick expressed his disappointment at the announcement, saying it was a "slap in the face" for Amazon workers who had worked extremely hard during the difficult festive period.
He said: "Amazon workers cannot suddenly be expected to up and move to a different fulfillment center that may be many miles away. Local workers may not be able to take on roles so far from where they live."
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Amazon, on the other hand, claims that the company's decision is based on "our commitment to our customers, employees and communities across the UK."
A spokesperson said: “We are always evaluating our network to ensure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for employees and customers. As part of this effort, we may close older locations, improve existing facilities or open new ones, and we have launched a consultation on the proposed closure of three fulfillment centers in 2023.”
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Amazon is in a period of change overall. Last week, it announced plans to cut 18,000 jobs worldwide — mostly at its headquarters — in an effort to become more efficient and productive.
Amazon is one of the big five US technology companies, along with Alphabet (Google), Apple, Meta (Facebook) and Microsoft , and has more than 1.5 million employees worldwide – with 300,000 in corporate roles most likely to be affected by global cuts.
As customers become more frugal with their spending and the global economy is uncertain, changes are inevitable for the company. The online retailer recently hired additional employees as it expanded into other products. As a result, it can now provide consumers with an even wider range of products than before! However, due to the negative economic climate, it now needs to make some adjustments.
Source: www.theguardian.com
