Amazon.com Inc which is struggling to quell workplace movements from the US to Europe faces a growing union effort in Asias secondlargest economy
A group of 15 subcontracted drivers in the southwestern city of Nagasaki is protesting the long hours and an excessive number of deliveries in the absence of overtime pay They blamed Amazons vaunted artificial intelligence algorithms for exacerbating their plight by setting impossible deadlines and routes The group formed a union this week and joined drivers in Yokosuka just outside Tokyo who organised in June

Amazon which prides itself on optimising the efficiency of its operations has drawn criticism for how its management techniques affect warehouse workers and logistics personnel The Seattlebased company is on the defensive as workers unionise worldwide Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island voted to join the companys first US union this year
The AI often doesnt account for realworld conditions like rivers or train tracks or roads that are too narrow for vehicles The results are unreasonable demands and long hours said Tatsuya Sekiguchi the vice executive chairman of Tokyo Union which coordinated the unionisation of the two groups
Several other groups of drivers who work for thirdparty companies but deliver for Amazon in Japan are also in the process of unionising all demanding an official labour contract with Amazon he said Given that they get orders directly from Amazon Japan through an app they work for Amazon

Amazon is not responsible for managing or paying the drivers but works generally with contractors to set realistic expectations that do not place undue pressure on them a company representative said via email Separately some fulltime Amazon employees unionised in 2015
In Japan a labour contract would guarantee the drivers more benefits Currently the subcontracted drivers in Japan get no overtime or accident insurance while they work 11 hours a day or more and foot the full cost of the trucks including gas vehicle insurance and maintenance costs Sekiguchi said
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Source:- CNBCTV18