Regardless of how badly Amazon treats its staff, all of us preserve buying there. There have been accusations that supply drivers weren’t allowed to go to the lavatory, the corporate reportedly left airport staff toiling away in 100 diploma warmth and now it’s apparently banned supply drivers from their final remaining pleasure at work: singing alongside to the radio.
Up to date Wednesday, September 4, 2024 5:10 p.m. EST – Amazon reached out to disclaim the stories of a crack down on singing together with the radio in vehicles and supplied this PR video clip as proof.
The retail large has reportedly started a crackdown on distracted driving for its supply staff, which suggests it’s now monitoring mouth motion whereas drivers are on the wheel, stories business watchdog Freight Waves.
In accordance with Reddit customers that Freight Waves cited, Amazon has begun monitoring mouth actions on its drivers by way of a digicam within the cab of its supply followers. An excessive amount of speaking on the wheel or singing alongside to the radio can set off the digicam, leaving drivers prone to a distracted driving warning. As one Reddit person posted:
Yesterday was the final straw. I give up after my route final night time. Why? On the morning security briefing, we undergo all the conventional “bear in mind to cease at cease indicators” stuff, then they inform us “Amazon is making an attempt to actually minimize down on distracted driving, so we will’t be singing alongside to the radio as a result of the digicam will ding you for distracted driving.” When folks understandably began getting upset, we have been informed that “a number of mouth motion will set off the digicam” and that we “wanted to maintain mouth motion to a minimal”.
You actually assume you’ll be able to inform me what I can do with my physique? Fuck proper off. I’m achieved.
The transfer has, understandably, sparked outrage amongst supply drivers working for Amazon with many arguing that this isn’t the type of factor inward-facing cameras ought to be used for. As an alternative, they argue that the cameras ought to solely set off within the case of an accident and investigators ought to then simply be capable to watch again the couple of minutes main as much as any incident, as an alternative of monitoring drivers 24/7.
That’s an opinion shared by many Freight Waves readers, with the location publishing the outcomes of a survey into the controversial use of in-cab cameras as a part of its investigation. As Freight Waves stories:
Does anybody actually imagine that singing distracts drivers or is that this a case of AI and surveillance overstepping its bounds? For me personally, hitting the excessive notes on a Whitney track energizes me and retains me between the white strains.
I requested my community that’s nearly totally composed of provide chain or provide chain adjoining followers what they thought in regards to the difficulty. Over 94% of X customers and 97% of LinkedIn customers imagine that drivers ought to be allowed to croon.
That is simply the most recent controversy to hit Amazon’s community of supply drivers, with stories rising final 12 months that racial bias in Amazon driver critiques may result in decrease pay and layoffs for some staff. Supply drivers additionally tried to sue the retail large claiming that they weren’t given adequate time for breaks and have been pressured to pee in bottles whereas on shift.
