// New petition calls on Amazon to lower the number of daily deliveries amid claims that drivers are being overworked
// It has 76,300 signatures out of a target of 100,000 at the time of writing
Amazon delivery drivers have started a petition urging the online retail giant to lower the number of daily deliveries they have to hit during their shifts.
The petition, launched via Organise, has garnered almost 76,300 signatures out of a target of 100,000 at the time of writing.
Organise told Retail Gazette that “there are thousands of verified Amazon delivery drivers who have signed the petition” and that it was “was started by a group of Amazon delivery drivers”.
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Amazon uses contractors for delivery services and does not employ drivers directly.
Nonetheless, the petition calls on Amazon to lower the number of daily deliveries amid claims that drivers are being overworked and that drop-off targets of up to 300 parcels per day are no longer safe.
One of the testimonials on the petition says the pressure to hit daily targets means they don’t have time for toilet breaks and they have to eat while they drive.
The same driver added that the pressure saw them “speeding through back lanes like a rally driver” and that managers expect them to go faster still.
A spokesman for Amazon said: “We are committed to ensuring that the people contracted by our independent delivery providers are fairly compensated and are treated with respect, and this is reflected by the positive feedback we receive from drivers every day.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a surge in ecommerce shopping orders and delivery, benefiting online retailers such as Amazon.
The petition follows similar concerns in the US where contractors accuse Amazon of placing them under pressure with video cameras and a tracking app to record journeys.
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