Ministers announced that the government is partnering with Amazon to offer energy-saving advice through its Echo devices and Alexa voice assistant. Owners of such devices or applications can use phrases including “Alexa, give me tips to conserve energy” to receive the government advice, according to the press release.
José Francisco Mora, who works as a cleaner for Amazon, said the announcement was “frustrating and disappointing” for him and his colleagues “who work hard at night for poverty wages and poor working conditions”.
He said it showed that “Amazon would rather spend its resources on programming a virtual assistant to help those who can afford Alexa-type luxuries, than offer its workers a fair and dignified treatment and a decent pay rise”.
Amazon has not yet responded to a request from the cleaners’ union, United Voices of the World, to be paid the London Living Wage, £11.95 an hour. The cleaners currently earn minimum wage, an hourly rate of £10.42.
The cleaners, who are paid an hourly rate of £10.42, are asking Amazon to raise their wages to the London Living Wage, £11.95 an hour, which Amazon warehouse workers already receive.
I don’t really see any connection between the two. It could be a good idea or a bad idea to offer energy-saving advice via Alexa devices – I mean, personally I’m skeptical that it’s actually helpful, but whatever – but those merits or drawbacks have nothing to do with the wages of a random employee at Amazon.