Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Black Friday is nearly here. Let's think about the real cost behind those big sales and the fast deliveries. Amazon, a company making billions of dollars annually, takes advantage of its workforce to maximise its profits. Warehouse staff face gruelling quotas, unsafe conditions and immense pressure to meet deadlines, and they're often unable to take proper breaks. Flex drivers aren't guaranteed the minimum wage or basic rights, while many warehouse workers—hired casually or through labour hire—work close to full-time hours without benefits or job security. Many of these workers live in my community, in Melton, Sunbury or Moorabool.

When workers demand fair pay and safer conditions, Amazon retaliates. The company has faced over 250 complaints in the US for union busting, including surveilling workers and flooding workplaces with new hires to sabotage unionisation efforts. But workers are fighting back. In Australia, the Transport Workers Union and the SDA are joining the global Make Amazon Pay movement. This campaign demands fair wages, safe workplaces, respect for workers rights and accountability for Amazon's environmental and social impacts.

Amazon's relentless drive for profit comes at a very steep human cost. Fair treatment, safe conditions, and decent pay aren't luxuries; they're the bare minimum for working people. This Black Friday, let's remember the workers behind the deals. Every dollar we spend is a choice. Let's make Amazon pay together. (Time expired)