If they can afford Jeremy Clarkson for Top Gear, they can afford to pay their workers a Living Wage.

Why do we want Amazon to pay the Living Wage?

Amazon has more than enough money to pay its workers (both permanent employees and contracted agency workers) the Living Wage. This is the wage needed to support a basic standard of living. With UK sales in 2012 of £4.2billion, you'd think Amazon could afford to pay its workers enough to be able to feed and clothe themselves and their families.

And unacceptably low pay isn't all Amazon does to demean its workers: 

• A sack-if-you're-sick policy that sees you turfed out if you take 3 sick breaks in a 3 month period

• Giving workers 15 minute breaks that start wherever they are in the giant warehouses
• 10 hour days
• Compulsory overtime
• Monitoring and timing toilet breaks
• Half-a-point if you're 1 minute late or more (3 points and you're out)
• Paying the minimum wage or just above it, when it could well afford to pay the Living Wage

• A 'performance console' that tracks and logs workers' activities so they can be released if their 'pick rate' is too slow

I don't know about you, but I find it pretty disgusting. It's time for Amazon to listen up and listen hard. It can't ignore us forever. Paying the Living Wage will be a big step in the right direction.

Do what's best for your workers (permanent and agency), Amazon: become an accredited Living Wage employer across your UK operations. God knows, you could do with a good news story.

You can read the stories from Amazon workers across the UK at
http://www.amazonanonymous.org/ and check out the alternatives to Amazon on this 'Amazon-Free' shopping guide here!