Amazon Worker at New York Warehouse Dies of COVID 4u3ym 19

More than a dozen demonstrators, including employees and activists, protested outside the Staten Island warehouse last week. 443v4s

By Agence -Presse | Updated: 6 May 2020 14:36 IST

Amazon Worker at New York Warehouse Dies of COVID-19

Photo Credit: AFP/ Getty Images 4u4f1b

In , Amazon has been locked in a battle with labour unions over staff safety

Highlights

Amazon has become a lifeline for consumers facing lockdowns
Amazon has faced protests on claims that it has failed to keep staff safe
Amazon, however, insists it has invested to protect staff

ment

An Amazon worker at a warehouse in New York where employees called for greater coronavirus safety measures has died of COVID-19, the e-commerce giant said on Tuesday. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of an associate at our site in Staten Island, NY," Amazon spokesperson Lisa Levandowski said in a statement emailed to AFP.

"His family and loved ones are in our thoughts, and we are ing his fellow colleagues," she added.

adding some 175,000 new employees to cope with surging demand.

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But the company has also faced protests from warehouse workers and activists who claim Amazon has failed to do enough to keep them safe.

More than a dozen demonstrators, including employees and activists, protested outside the Staten Island warehouse last week.

In March, New York Attorney General Letitia James called for an investigation after Amazon fired employee Chris Smalls after he organized a walkout of workers at the warehouse.

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Smalls claimed the company was failing to take precautions to protect warehouse staff from COVID-19, and said that between 50 and 60 employees at the facility had contracted the illness.

Amazon said Smalls was fired after he went to work after coming in with someone who had contracted the virus, in a violation of quarantining rules.

Amazon insists it has invested to protect staff and says the rate of infection at the Staten Island facility is significantly below the community rate.

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New York is the worst-hit state in the country, with over 320,000 declared cases and around 20,000 deaths.

On Monday, Tim Bray, an Amazon vice president, said he had resigned in protest at company sacking three staff who spoke out against treatment in warehouses.

In , Amazon has been locked in a battle with labour unions which say not enough was done to mitigate contagion risk for staff working in close proximity to process a flood of orders amid the nationwide lockdown.

's labour ministry said shut its warehouses following a court order to sell only essential items.

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