In a stunning rebuke to eCommerce giant Amazon, more than 400 lawmakers from 34 countries have signed a letter addressed to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, chastising the company for dodging, dismissing its debts to workers, societies, and the environment.
The letter’s signatories include U.S. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Vice President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, according to Reuters.
“We urge you to act decisively to change your policies and priorities to do right by your workers, their communities, and our planet,” the letter said.
“We stand ready to act in our respective legislatures to support the movement that is growing around the world to Make Amazon Pay.”
The letter to Bezos is part of a global “Make Amazon Pay” campaign that is being backed by more than 50 organizations, demanding the eCommerce giant to improve the working conditions of its workers and to be more transparent with its taxes. The campaign was launched last week on November 27, the day of Black Friday, according to Reuters.
Amazon was swift to push back and said that while the company is open to criticism, several of the points that have been raised in the letter are misleading assertions.
“Amazon has a strong track record of supporting our employees, our customers, and our communities, including providing safe working conditions, competitive wages and great benefits,” the company said.
The company added that it pays billions of dollars in taxes globally and has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2040.
