As the pandemic persists, online retailer Amazon (AMZN 207 -1 -1%) has announced that it would hire 75,000 employees across the United States and Canada to meet rising demand. The new positions available in transportation and warehouses would be permanent. It would also pay a $100 (£71.19) bonus to new employees who have already been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a release.
The company has an “unwavering dedication to protection,” according to a spokesperson. Following recent wage rises, the retailer said the positions, which are already being advertised, would pay an average starting wage of $17 per hour. To recruit new employees, Amazon said it would offer $1,000 sign-on bonuses in some locations.
According to data released last week, the US economy added far fewer jobs in April than predicted, with some observers claiming that businesses were having difficulty recruiting workers. After a massive hiring spree during the pandemic, Amazon currently hires over one million people worldwide. Last year, the United Kingdom, for example, gained 10,000 jobs.
The store had its most profitable year to date in 2020, thanks to customers staying at home during the lockout. However, it was accused of having bad working conditions, as well as protests at factories in the United States, Italy, and Germany.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which spearheaded an attempt in Alabama to establish the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the United States, has reacted angrily to the latest hiring news.
“Amazon needs to keep recruiting because of the extraordinary turnover at all of its warehouses,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the RWDSU. He also added that “No matter how much they pay customers, it doesn’t make up for the way they handle them or the poor working conditions at Amazon facilities – which is why people keep leaving.”
Amazon has stated that the health and welfare of its employees is a top priority. As the pace of jabs being shipped has slowed in recent weeks, it has organized on-site vaccination activities in many of its US warehouses throughout Missouri, Nevada, and Kansas. Covid vaccines have been promoted by other organizations as well.
On Tuesday, McDonald’s announced that it will begin printing “We Can Do This” slogans on its coffee cups in the United States, along with links to websites with more vaccine detail. On the 14th of May, consumer goods giant Unilever will give away milkshakes and ice cream to healthcare staff and those receiving vaccinations at various locations across the United States.
