33 Amazon Japan Workers Stop Work Due To Non-Payment Of Bonus

Thirty-three Amazon Japan delivery workers in the Nagasaki area have refused to work, claiming they had not received promised incentives for handling additional packages during the shopping website's "Prime Day" sale in July.

This marks the first time in Japan that a large-scale boycott by Amazon delivery workers due to dissatisfaction with their treatment has come to light. I Photo: Karl Baron

This information was revealed by a labor union, as reported by Takehiro Higuchi for Mainichi Japan.

The Nagasaki branch of the Tokyo Union, representing Amazon delivery workers, announced during a news conference in Nagasaki on the evening of September 28 that the workers had boycotted the delivery of approximately 1,750 packages in Nagasaki and other areas on September 15.

According to the Tokyo Union, this marks the first time in Japan that a large-scale boycott by Amazon delivery workers due to dissatisfaction with their treatment has come to light.

These delivery workers are subcontracted as sole proprietors by a secondary contractor and are compensated at a rate of 14,500 yen (about $100) per day for their work.

As per the Nagasaki branch of the union, in mid-June, the delivery workers were informed by an employee of the primary contractor, responsible for managing a distribution center in Nagasaki, that they would receive additional fees during the period of increased deliveries associated with the Prime Day sale on July 11 and 12.

Historically, several thousand yen (tens of dollars) per day in additional fees had been paid for Prime Day and similar occasions.

However, this time, the payment was not made by the specified date. Consequently, on September 15, 33 out of the 35 delivery workers in the area, including those who were not union members, suspended their deliveries.

The incentives were eventually paid on September 19 through the secondary contractor.

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