The toll Prime Day takes on Amazon workers

The grand event of Prime Day has just concluded, advertised this year with a campaign featuring Megan Thee Stallion and coverage in top publications: from Vogue to Forbes, every magazine meticulously curated lists of the best deals for their readers. Born in 2015 to celebrate Amazon's twentieth anniversary, this mid-July event offers crazy discounts on the platform. Initially designed to reward Prime members, according to Amazon Prime's vice president Jamil Ghani, this tradition has now grown enormously, leading to an increase in overconsumption during a period traditionally not dedicated to shopping, unlike the holiday season. For consumers, it's a dream come true: buying that long-desired TV at reduced prices, or finally getting the Korean skincare products heavily promoted by influencers on TikTok, with guaranteed delivery within two days. However, from a logistics standpoint, the reality is quite different. Last July 15th, the U.S. Senate published a critical report on Jeff Bezos's platform: nearly one in two Amazon warehouse workers suffered injuries and damages due to almost non-existent workplace safety.

An ongoing investigation, led by independent Senator Bernie Sanders, revealed concerning facts about workplace safety in warehouses. Data shows that last year, out of 100 workers, 45 suffered injuries and damages despite Prime Day revenues continuing to grow, reaching $12.7 billion in sales in 2023, with expectations this year aiming for $14 billion. The fallout from this avalanche of orders and swift delivery has a terrible impact on security. This issue isn't new, as past reports have also highlighted the same problem. In 2023, it was noted that Amazon warehouse injury rates were nearly twice the U.S. average, with 7.7 incidents per 100 workers compared to the national 4.4. Hyper-fast delivery, occurring within one or two days in Italy, and in some places in the U.S. even same-day, forces workers to remain in warehouses for hours under precarious conditions, often disregarding safety guidelines in inhumane conditions. According to the U.S. Senate report, some workers reported that during peak periods, they had to handle twice the normal warehouse capacity, which is usually 60,000 packages. Among the most common incidents are conveyor belt jams, which can cause packages weighing up to 22 kilograms to fall on workers. Despite the injuries, workers only receive first aid in on-site clinics and are often forced to return to work, even on shifts lasting 12 hours during Prime Days and holidays.

Over the years, there have been several deaths in Amazon warehouses, including the recent case of a 20-year-old in Indiana. In response, Jeff Bezos's company received only a seven-thousand-dollar fine. Last July 15th, on the eve of this year's event, dozens of current and former employees protested outside Amazon's offices in New York. The slogan "same day delivery, lifetime of injuries" has garnered much attention, with participants sharing stories of dismissals for publicly speaking about their work conditions, or disabilities resulting from warehouse accidents.

Despite these challenges, this year's Prime Days have achieved unprecedented success: the hashtag #PrimeDay2024 has nearly 23,000 TikTok videos and has received support from numerous influencers and celebrities, including Paris Hilton. An ode to overconsumption placed at the heart of the sales season, where the mere premise of free delivery - paid for by poor workers - and deeply discounted prices manages to create disproportionate revenues. However, as shown in user @semyajnotsemaj's video, many of these surreal discounts are nothing more than deceptions created by the phenomenon of price gouging. As noted in the video, prices are raised shortly before sales to make customers believe they are getting impossible deals. It is a true tradition, almost eclipsing Black Friday, based on illusions and exploitation, all under Jeff Bezos's brand.