Daily US Times: Labour activists in the United States say big retailers like Walmart and Amazon must do more to protect workers as surging Covid cases coincide with the holiday shopping rush.
They are calling for hazard pay, better communication about outbreaks and paid sick leave among other things.
The campaign comes as workers across the United States have spoken out about conditions and concerns over their health as Covid cases surge again across the US.
Walmart worker Melissa Love said “Associates like me are scared.”
The workers rights campaign launched on Monday was organised by a workers rights non-profit named United for Respect, that says it represents more than 16 million people across the US.
Separately, the labour union UFCW, whose members include meatpacking and grocery plant workers, also called on employers to do more to protect staff.
UFCW International President Marc Perrone said: “Simply put, frontline workers are terrified because their employers and our elected leaders are not doing enough to protect them and stop the spread of this virus.”
Pointing to Thanksgiving shopping and already a huge surge of customer traffic, he urged to take immediate actions beginning this holiday week, many more essential workers will become sick and more, tragically, will die.
Ms Love, who has worked at Walmart for five years and a member of United for Respect, said on a call organised for reporters that she feared a rush of holiday shoppers could turn Walmart into a “super-spreader” hub.
Ms Love, who is based in California, said: “Working Black Friday this year comes with an obvious danger.”
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