UFCW hits out at ‘dangerous’ Amazon Go Grocery project

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) has slammed Amazon, labelling the e-commerce giant a “clear and present danger to millions of good jobs”.

The US union was reacting to the retailer opening the first cashierless Amazon Go Grocery store in its hometown of Seattle. “The brutal truth is that Amazon is focused on one thing - eliminating as many jobs as possible to enrich one multi-billionaire, Jeff Bezos,” it said.

“Despite the failure of the Amazon Go stores, it is clear that Bezos is determined to pursue a ruthless strategy that is designed to destroy millions of grocery worker jobs. At a time when millions of Americans are already struggling, when most Americans are one paycheck away from disaster, what does it say that Bezos wants to create stores that serve food and groceries and eliminate the jobs real people need.”

The UFCW, which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries, has called on Democrats and Republicans “to wake up and act before Amazon and Bezos do permanent damage to America’s economy and the future of work.”

“It’s both incorrect and misleading to suggest that we destroy jobs. The fact is that no other US-based company has created more jobs than Amazon,” an Amazon spokesperson told RTIH.

“In the US alone, we have created over 500,000 jobs for people with all types of experience, education, and skill levels. Our jobs, including at Go stores, come with great compensation and benefits, including our $15 minimum wage that is more than twice the national minimum wage.”