Amazon's Bezos criticized for relying on low wage labor to become the world's richest man

Phoenix Technology News: According to a report by Fortune on June 11th Beijing time, labor rights protection organization China Labor Watch has called on Amazon to improve the working conditions of Chinese factory workers, once again triggering criticism of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for relying on low wage labor to become the world's richest man. These workers produce Echo smart speakers and Kindle e-readers for Amazon.

Image: Amazon China OEM criticized for low salary and excessive overtime hours

After a 9-month investigation into the working environment at a Foxconn factory in Hengyang, which produces products for Amazon, China Labor Watch released a report over the weekend. The report revealed the behind the scenes reasons why Amazon was able to lower the price of smart speakers to $40. The report states that the employees of this factory have low salaries and overtime hours that seriously exceed national legal regulations.

A survey by China Labor Watch found that employees who work overtime for more than 100 hours per month violate the Chinese legal requirement that overtime cannot exceed 36 hours per month; The number of temporary workers used in the factory exceeds the legal requirements in China; Employees did not receive appropriate safety training before starting work; The employee was required to start work 10 minutes in advance, but did not receive any compensation for it; The employee dormitory lacks necessary fire safety measures, such as fire extinguishers.

The report points out that "all employees have problems with overtime and low pay. Due to low wages, employees must rely on overtime to maintain a decent standard of living

Amazon stated in an email statement that it conducted an audit of the factory in March this year and found issues with excessive overtime and the use of temporary workers. It has requested Foxconn to address the issues identified.

Amazon stated, "We immediately request Foxconn to develop a specific plan to address the issues identified, and we will regularly evaluate our suppliers to ensure they meet our relevant standards

Foxconn issued a statement on June 10th stating that salary evaluations will be conducted regularly, and all full-time and temporary employees will receive pre job training and further training after being assigned to various departments. Foxconn's factories that manufacture products for Apple have been repeatedly criticized for poor working conditions, while factories that manufacture products for Amazon have similar problems, albeit to a lesser extent.

Amazon sells a variety of self branded electronic products, and Kindle electronic products and tablets help Amazon sell more e-books. Amazon has sold tens of millions of Echo smart speakers - which can be used to adjust lighting fixtures, play music, and order pizza.

Amazon is also facing criticism for the poor working environment in its warehouses located in the United States. A lawsuit accuses Amazon of extending employees' working hours by requiring them to clock in and wait in line for security checks before leaving work. (Compilation/Frost Leaf)