Amazon pollutes more than the biggest coal-fired power plants in the EU. Exploitation of working people destroys the planet!
Environmental organizations are actively involved in the #MakeAmazonPay employee campaign. That campaign included blocking deliveries at Amazon warehouses near Wrocław in December 2020, and was supported by Greenpeace Polska [1]. We also received letters of support from local mining trade unions [2]. It is notable that former miners of decommissioned coal mines in the Lower Silesia region are among the rank and file members of our commission at Amazon – and count among our most active.
Meanwhile, through its anti-social and anti-labour management model, Amazon has become a huge greenhouse gas emitter. Despite pro-ecological propaganda, Amazon’s carbon footprint in 2019 grew to 51 million tons [3]. Thus, Jeff Bezos’ company has already surpassed all the largest coal-fired power plants in the European Union, with Amazon’s carbon footprint equal to the top five of ten largest emitters in the EU combined [4]. Moreover, while the largest coal-fuelled power plant in the EU, Bełchatów, reduced its carbon footprint by 15 percent (i.e. by 5.6 million tons of CO2, from 38.3 to 32.7 million tons) [5], Amazon increased its by 15% (almost 7 million tons, from 44.4 to the above-mentioned 51 million tons) [6]. The annual difference in the growth of Amazon’s carbon footprint is close to the entire declared emissions of the largest coal producer in the European Union and the largest coal-mine operator in this region, the Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa group [7].
Amazon, which is constantly expanding in Poland, has not yet disclosed the full scale of its carbon emissions in our country. However, one must be mindful of the fundamentally different social functions that power plants, coal mines and the Amazon corporation perform in Poland. These power plants and mines provide energy to homes, schools, hospitals, offices and all other social infrastructure – including private companies like Amazon. With the large (although decreasing) carbon footprint of these entities, almost 40 million people in Poland benefit daily from the fruits of the miners’ and power plant workers’ labour. For short change, a typical Amazon employee in Poland – in many cases, a former miner – packs products sold and consumed in Germany and other Western countries; ensuring, in fact, that they work for the German retail market, are compensated for their labour at 1/4 of a German wage, and do so in a warehouse built several hundred kilometres from the eastern border of that country.
Amazon management bases its profits on the chronic overwork of employees. The exploitation of human resources goes hand in hand with the exploitation of the Earth’s resources. As a result of the activities of our union, it has been established that the heads of Polish warehouses at Amazon force employees to significantly exceed reasonable working hours and conditions [8]. The excessively high pace of work also translates to excessive energy consumption and a higher carbon footprint. In the December 2020 peak period, Polish Amazon employees had their daily working time extended to 11.5 hours, which also means greater energy consumption in warehouses. What’s more, low wages encourage the corporation to lengthen the supply chain: packing occurs in the poor East, while the consumption of those packages transpires in the rich West.
The profits accumulated by Amazon millionaire-shareholders, led by the company’s CEO and one of the richest people in the world, Jeff Bezos, allow these millionaires to live in clover at a time of great social crises. Amazon’s local workers, paid slightly above the minimum wage in Poland and well below the Western minimum wage, are particularly vulnerable to crises – both ecological and epidemiological.
That is why the joint participation of trade unions and environmental groups in the #MakeAmazonPay campaign is so important. Together we must make Amazon pay – finally – for their exploitation of people and the planet.
IP Amazon
Original article
Footnotes:
[1] Video from Greenpeace Polska’s participation in the Make Amazon Pay protests:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=415760146504267
[2] The content of the letter of unions from the Bogdanka mine to OZZ IP in Amazon:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=415760146504267
[3] Official company report
https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/…/carbon-footprint
[4] Nico Muzi, Top shipping polluter overtakes power plants as coal shuts down, Transportenvironment.org portal, 3.07.2020
https://www.transportenvironment.org/…/top-shipping-pollute…
[5] Katarzyna Grzelak, Bełchatów is the leader of the infamous ranking. The Polish power plant is the largest emitter of CO2 in the EU, Focus.pl portal, 8 July 2020
https://www.focus.pl/…/belchatow-liderem-niechlubnego-ranki…
[6] AP News, “Despite green pledges, Amazon’s carbon footprint grew 15%”
https://apnews.com/article/95986c4ba779f1d35ac4ca2afdd745c3
[7] “Carbon footprint of the JSW Group”, company statement
https://www.jsw.pl/odpowiedzialny-biznes/slad-weglowy-gk-jsw
[8] Klara Klinger, Patrycja Otto, “Work beyond measure, forced to work standing up, problems with water … It’s all in the Polish Amazon”, Dziennik.pl portal, 9/08/2018
https://gospodarka.dziennik.pl/…/579068,amazon-praca-pracow…
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[14 de junio, 10 a.m., Erbil] Todos los integrantes de la delegación de paz al norte de Irak se encuentran detenidos hoy en su hotel para impedir la celebración de un acto y una rueda de prensa frente a la oficina de la misión de la ONU en Erbil, algo a lo que ayer se había comprometido un representante del gobierno de la región.
Aproximadamente 30 peshmergas, armados con fusiles de asalto, custodian a las 60 personas que integran la delegación. Ayer mismo, la delegación se reunió con el ministro de Exteriores del Gobierno de la Región Autónoma del Kurdistán Iraquí (PDK), quien empeñó su palabra en que se permitiría la realización del acto. De momento, parece que la detención no es estricta, pero se han prohibido todos los actos públicos. Otros delegados se encuentran custodiados en este momento.
Wolf Meyer, integrante del secretariado internacional de FAU: “estas actuaciones del gobierno del Kurdistán Iraquí son indignas de unas relaciones internacionales oficiales y recuerdan, no a una democracia, sino a la dictadura que se vive en Turquía. Se nos arresta, deporta y detiene con al apoyo y la complicidad del Gobierno alemán. Exigimos la puesta en libertad inmediata de todas las personas prisioneras, que se respete el derecho a manifestarse y que se honren los acuerdos y la palabra dada. Pedimos a todos los sindicatos de base que alcen su voz con determinación frente a la situación que se vive ahora mismo en Erbil”.
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Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter Union
(Sindicato libre de trabajadores y trabajadores)](https://scontent-muc2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/201842128_385247316251692_1966993115829631177_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=8-KW81UR530AX8eEigU&_nc_ht=scontent-muc2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AT8QZSv2I4Yt5Mt2mH-7C1hWZ1-VgCAEySsVKEw5cz9YNA&oe=62BFE999 "Comunicado de prensa del sindicato FAU: delegación de paz retenida en el hotel, acto prohibido
[14 de junio, 10 a.m., Erbil] Todos los integrantes de la delegación de paz al norte de Irak se encuentran detenidos hoy en su hotel para impedir la celebración de un acto y una rueda de prensa frente a la oficina de la misión de la ONU en Erbil, algo a lo que ayer se había comprometido un representante del gobierno de la región.
Aproximadamente 30 peshmergas, armados con fusiles de asalto, custodian a las 60 personas que integran la delegación. Ayer mismo, la delegación se reunió con el ministro de Exteriores del Gobierno de la Región Autónoma del Kurdistán Iraquí (PDK), quien empeñó su palabra en que se permitiría la realización del acto. De momento, parece que la detención no es estricta, pero se han prohibido todos los actos públicos. Otros delegados se encuentran custodiados en este momento.
Wolf Meyer, integrante del secretariado internacional de FAU: “estas actuaciones del gobierno del Kurdistán Iraquí son indignas de unas relaciones internacionales oficiales y recuerdan, no a una democracia, sino a la dictadura que se vive en Turquía. Se nos arresta, deporta y detiene con al apoyo y la complicidad del Gobierno alemán. Exigimos la puesta en libertad inmediata de todas las personas prisioneras, que se respete el derecho a manifestarse y que se honren los acuerdos y la palabra dada. Pedimos a todos los sindicatos de base que alcen su voz con determinación frente a la situación que se vive ahora mismo en Erbil”.
FAU · Germany
Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter Union
(Sindicato libre de trabajadores y trabajadores)")
![[June 14, 10 a.m., Erbil] The entire peace delegation in northern Iraq is being held in its hotel today to prevent a rally and press conference in front of the UN representation in Erbil, which was promised yesterday by a government representative.
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#irak #kurdistan](https://scontent-muc2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/201559472_218032290141991_420199474714961924_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=ZaylAqccGA8AX8wqhR8&_nc_ht=scontent-muc2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AT9OtvjoyGTyMO3-uy8GRei1zOS8WBeXKRkvDdWHMY1SjA&oe=62BFDCB2 "[June 14, 10 a.m., Erbil] The entire peace delegation in northern Iraq is being held in its hotel today to prevent a rally and press conference in front of the UN representation in Erbil, which was promised yesterday by a government representative.
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#irak #kurdistan")
![Delegation of the FAU in Northern Iraq
On the road against war and for internationalism in action!
The Free Workers Union is currently participating in a large international delegation in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). The reason for this is the ongoing human rights crimes, military actions and provocations on the part of the Turkish government and the Barzani regime¹, which is close to the Turkish government, as well as the worsening working and living conditions for the workers of the region.
As an internationalist labour union federation, we stand with the workers and peasants all over the world against the Turkish dictatorship, which is covering the whole region of the so-called Middle East with war, destruction of nature and political oppression.
Background
The Turkish regime under dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pursues a policy of annexation and ethnic cleansing². The biggest counterweight against this racist war policy is the communalist movement³. This movement is organized in Turkey, Syria and Iraq and is mainly supported by Kurds, but also Yezidis, Arabs, Turkmens, Assyrians and members of many other communities as a multi-ethnic project.
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On the road against war and for internationalism in action!
The Free Workers Union is currently participating in a large international delegation in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). The reason for this is the ongoing human rights crimes, military actions and provocations on the part of the Turkish government and the Barzani regime¹, which is close to the Turkish government, as well as the worsening working and living conditions for the workers of the region.
As an internationalist labour union federation, we stand with the workers and peasants all over the world against the Turkish dictatorship, which is covering the whole region of the so-called Middle East with war, destruction of nature and political oppression.
Background
The Turkish regime under dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pursues a policy of annexation and ethnic cleansing². The biggest counterweight against this racist war policy is the communalist movement³. This movement is organized in Turkey, Syria and Iraq and is mainly supported by Kurds, but also Yezidis, Arabs, Turkmens, Assyrians and members of many other communities as a multi-ethnic project.
In Iraq, Turkey is currently attempting to take control of the retreat areas of communalist organizations, as well as border areas with the communalist-administered region of northern and eastern Syria (also known as Rojava). Thus, it regularly carries out bombardments on Iraqi territory against alleged or actual revolutionaries. Furthermore, the Barzani clan and the Turkish state are expanding their military presence in these areas. In recent months, over 40 military bases have been established and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to the region.
With the current attacks and air strikes, Turkey is trying to provoke an intra-Kurdish war between communalists and the Barzani regime, which is economically dependent on Turkey. This tactic aims to weaken Kurdish resistance to Turkey, cut off supply routes to northeastern Syria, and legitimize a Turkish occupation of parts of Iraq.
...
[You can continue reading the news in our website]")
![Delegación de FAU en el norte de Irak
¡En marcha contra la guerra y por el internacionalismo en acción!
FAU (Sindicato de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras Libres) participa actualmente en una gran delegación internacional a la Región Autónoma del Kurdistán (Norte de Irak). El motivo de esta es oponerse a las incesantes violaciones de los derechos humanos, las ofensivas militares y las provocaciones por parte del gobierno turco y del régimen de Barzani¹, muy próximo a aquel, así como al deterioro de las condiciones laborales y vitales de las personas trabajadoras en la región.
Como federación sindical internacionalista que es FAU, estaremos siempre junto a trabajadores y trabajadoras, campesinos y campesinas de todo el mundo, contra la dictadura turca, que siembra la guerra, la destrucción del medio ambiente y la opresión política en todo el ámbito de la región denominada Oriente Medio.
Antecedentes
El régimen turco del dictador Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lleva a cabo una política de anexión y limpieza étnica². El mayor obstáculo frente a esta expansión de la guerra racista es el movimiento del confederalismo democrático³. Este se encuentra organizado en Turquía, Siria e Irak y recibe el apoyo, principalmente, de la población kurda, pero también yazidí, árabe, turcomana, asiria y de integrantes de muchas otras comunidades, porque se trata de un proyecto multiétnico.
En Irak, el gobierno turco pretende actualmente hacerse con el control de las zonas en que se refugian las organizaciones del confederalismo democrático, así como de las regiones fronterizas con la parte del norte y el este de Siria en las que está implantado este proyecto (también conocida como Rojava). Por este motivo, bombardea de manera regular el territorio iraquí, para atacar a revolucionarios imaginados o reales. Además, el clan Barzani y el estado turco están ampliando su presencia militar en estas zonas. En los últimos meses, han establecido más de 40 bases militares y han desplegado miles de soldados en la región.
...
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¡En marcha contra la guerra y por el internacionalismo en acción!
FAU (Sindicato de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras Libres) participa actualmente en una gran delegación internacional a la Región Autónoma del Kurdistán (Norte de Irak). El motivo de esta es oponerse a las incesantes violaciones de los derechos humanos, las ofensivas militares y las provocaciones por parte del gobierno turco y del régimen de Barzani¹, muy próximo a aquel, así como al deterioro de las condiciones laborales y vitales de las personas trabajadoras en la región.
Como federación sindical internacionalista que es FAU, estaremos siempre junto a trabajadores y trabajadoras, campesinos y campesinas de todo el mundo, contra la dictadura turca, que siembra la guerra, la destrucción del medio ambiente y la opresión política en todo el ámbito de la región denominada Oriente Medio.
Antecedentes
El régimen turco del dictador Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lleva a cabo una política de anexión y limpieza étnica². El mayor obstáculo frente a esta expansión de la guerra racista es el movimiento del confederalismo democrático³. Este se encuentra organizado en Turquía, Siria e Irak y recibe el apoyo, principalmente, de la población kurda, pero también yazidí, árabe, turcomana, asiria y de integrantes de muchas otras comunidades, porque se trata de un proyecto multiétnico.
En Irak, el gobierno turco pretende actualmente hacerse con el control de las zonas en que se refugian las organizaciones del confederalismo democrático, así como de las regiones fronterizas con la parte del norte y el este de Siria en las que está implantado este proyecto (también conocida como Rojava). Por este motivo, bombardea de manera regular el territorio iraquí, para atacar a revolucionarios imaginados o reales. Además, el clan Barzani y el estado turco están ampliando su presencia militar en estas zonas. En los últimos meses, han establecido más de 40 bases militares y han desplegado miles de soldados en la región.
...
[Continúa leyendo en nuestra web]")
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