Italian unions agree workers' rights deal with Amazon
Landmark Agreement Between Italian Unions and Amazon
MILAN, July 22 (Reuters) - Italian unions have signed an agreement with Amazon.com covering leave, employee rights and video surveillance, the unions and the U.S. e-commerce giant said on Wednesday.
Scope and Coverage of the Agreement
• The Filt CGIL, Fit CISL and Uiltrasporti unions said 57 sites operating in Italy were covered in the deal struck with Amazon Italia Transport and Amazon Italia Logistica and hailed it as the first such national collective agreement reached with Amazon in any country.
Key Provisions of the Deal
Video Surveillance Policies
• Regarding video surveillance, the unions said it has been agreed that images cannot be used for disciplinary purposes.
Employee Leave and Rights
• Employees have been granted the right to take parental leave in increments as small as a single hour, the unions added.
Statements and Reactions
Amazon's Response
• "We welcome the agreement reached with trade unions, which introduces new flexibility and work-life balance tools and enhances existing ones, bringing them into a shared framework for the benefit of our employees and their families," Amazon said in a statement.
Background and Context
• The agreement builds on an initial protocol signed with Amazon in 2021.
• Amazon has 19,000 permanent employees in Italy.
(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise Armellini)
