Brussels, 29 February 2024
Press statement by the Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee on the withdrawal of long-term access badges of Amazon lobbyists.
Dragoș Pîslaru (Renew, RO), Chair of the Social Affairs and Employment Committee, said: “Ensuring fair working conditions is a key component of the European Pillar of Social Rights and my duty as Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, together with my colleagues, is to ensure that the rights of European workers are respected and their voices heard.
When there were concerns expressed at European level about the working conditions of Amazon employees in the European Union, we could not remain ignorant to this situation and, according to our mandate, we put it on the agenda of our Committee.
We have invited Amazon representatives to cooperate on this matter since 2021, asking them twice to participate in hearings of the EMPL Committee and once to receive our official mission at the end of last year in December. In the context of the company’s constant unavailability at the requested dates, it was important to signal the fact that their approach was disrespectful to the European Parliament and EU citizens in general.
Yesterday it was decided that 14 long-term access badges for representatives of Amazon will be revoked, and that no new access badges will be issued until further notice. It was just fair to apply our Rules of Procedure and withdraw the long-term badges of Amazon representatives. We understand that Amazon is ready to cooperate from now on, it just remains to be seen how this will happen in practice in the next legislature and if lessons were truly learned.
Amazon’s refusal to engage in public dialogue with lawmakers has made it impossible for MEPs and European citizens to gain first-hand accounts from the company’s management on the pressing questions and allegations concerning Amazon’s breach of fundamental rights of assembly, association, collective bargaining and action as well as fair and just working conditions.
Dialogue, transparency and respect for the EU citizens are non-negotiable values in the European Union, and all stakeholders, without exception, must respect them and the European Parliament as a key democratic institution.”
Background
Following a request of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, the Quaestors authorised the Secretary General to withdraw the long-term access badges of the interest representatives. This action implementing the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure (rule 123.3) was considered necessary due to the repeated refusal by Amazon to participate in hearings where the working conditions and workers’ fundamental rights in the company’s warehouses across Europe were discussed.