Copping, absenteeism and precariousness: the underside of the Amazon Douai job machine<

Karim Nemraoui thought that working at Amazon would look like "the advertisements we see on TV.»Namely employees with a generous smile, packages that slide too easily and a business concerned with well-being in its aisles.The former salesperson, accustomed to door-to-door for telecom companies, believed to touch the mirage."We are so well trained that you have the impression that it will be idyllic," he recalls, voice lizard by cigarettes.Five years after his first steps on the Lauwin-Planque site, the 45-year-old man, dismissed in September, describes an "unhealthy" atmosphere, a "disguised benevolence" or "du blah" around health at work at work.

The criticisms of Karim Nemraoui contrast with the mantra of the e-commerce giant, registered in English above the gantry that employees cross every day to start their service: "Work hard, have fun, make history" [Work hard, have fun, write history, editor's note].The Douaisian distribution center, inaugurated in September 2013, even offers a summary of what the American firm represents: both attractive and unavoidable but offering degraded working conditions for employees and temporary workers, as seen in Mediacités ininternal reports consultant.

Unmissable because the northern logistical warehouse, installed on 90,000 square meters, spits a demential number of packages.For the last three months of 2020, more than 30 million units have been shipped."In Lauwin-Planque, we concentrate much more small articles and books, while at the beginning, the logistics centers were not really specialized," explains Christophe Bocquet, Delegate Force Ouvrière (FO), hired at the openingof the site.

The sending of these very varied objects - earrings, toys, magazines, sex toys, babies, etc..- obeys to the rhythm of customer orders, attached by the promise of express delivery, sometimes in a few hours."We are first asked quality, to pack the packages well, not to be mistaken when we are going to look for the articles.Then, after two weeks, we are made to understand that you have to be fast, "sums up Mohammed, 55, nine months of temporary work between 2017 and 2019.

More than 100 scans per hour

To orchestrate this productivity, Amazon has an essential instrument: the scanner."He's your master, he tells you what you have to do and where you have to go," Image Olympe Bonnet, temporary worker for a month and a half in spring 2021.Vailed by the firm to optimize workers' trips to the warehouse, it is also a control tool.Assigned to the pick - the collection of products before transmitting them to the pack, which packs for the shipment -, the 24 -year -old woman felt frequently from the second day.

"I got lost on the shelves and I couldn't find the object that I had to scan.I had not been kicked for fifteen minutes and I therefore received a message on my device to get to the office see my team leader.I was asked for explanations, "she recalls.Ten minutes without scanning is considered a break time at Amazon.The firm does not hesitate to send warning letters for "non -professional behavior" to those who do not hold the cadence.

Picking at Amazon, how does it work?

Olympus scanned "about 100 objects per hour".She could request her performance index, apparently based on the number of products collected and time between each scan, but whose exact formula remains mysterious in her eyes.The least effective were recalled to order."And if they made no effort, their contract was not renewed," she said.The pressure was therefore permanent."Sometimes the toilets were far from where I was, and I was asking myself the question:" Do I have time to go? "», Illustrates Olympe.

Productivity race is accompanied by very physical work.Pickers and Stowers - Those who put the products to store on the shelves - investigate fifteen kilometers per day."When I only worked on weekends and accumulated with my business job, I could absolutely do nothing on Monday, I was K.O "Remember Karim Nemraoui.

This fatigue, added to the performance request, accentuates the risk of accidents at work.A report in 775 between 2017 and 2019, including 29 % caused by a "bad movement" or a "bad posture.»A strong accidentology of which we find the trace in another indicator.The establishment of Lauwin-Planque, known as Lil1 internally, knew indeed one of absenteeism of 10.4 %in 2019.A figure well above the alert threshold set at 8 %...And probably underestimated, according to a report by the Progexa expertise firm for the Amazon Social and Economic Social and Economic Committee (CSEC).Of the seven group's logistics warehouses in France, only one displayed an even higher rate.

Absentness lil1_compressed

For temporary workers, these accidents at work do not forgive.Tracy Guerlain, 28, carried out three fixed -term contracts lasting six months in 2016 in 2016.By wanting to remove a product, a poorly tidy drill at the top of the shelf falls on his head.She spends a few weeks in the hospital and keeps a three -millimeter relevance in the skull."The problem is that you are blacklisted when you have an accident.I was made to understand.These are things that do not please them, ”she testifies.

Kinder Bueno, bonus and promise of permanent contract

Despite these risks of injury, cadences or coping, coaling at Amazon remains a appreciable opportunity for many."This is the Labor School.I advise any young person without experience to come.We learn rigor, ”continues Tracy, who regrets not having been able to sign a permanent contract.An argument heard from many employees or temporary workers, old or current.The company also likes to recall that "8 out of 10 employees say they are satisfied with working conditions and recommend Amazon as an employer to their loved ones.»»

This is the case of Laure, Laure, 42, in temporary workers since the end of August."I was told that it was slavery. Mais je sors de cinq ans à la chaîne dans des usines du Lot, et je suis mieux ici»», estime-t-elle.It receives 10.88 euros gross an hour.Or 44 cents more than the minimum wage.But the salary swells quickly enough for night or weekend teams."The atmosphere is good, I was welcomed," continues Laure.One day, Kinder Bueno were distributed.And for Halloween, I was able to come disguised as a witch, with spiders drawn on the face.»»

Ce vernis « cool»», accentué par un lexique bourré de mots anglais - on ne dit pas salarié, mais associate par exemple -, les syndicats le raillent régulièrement.They called for a strike on November 26, Black Friday day, to request an increase in wages and end -of -year prime at the height of the profits garnered by the firm worldwide.The movement was very little followed."There are a lot of temporary workers and young people whose first job is. On sait aussi pourquoi Amazon s’est installé ici : c’est une zone très touchée par le chômage, c’est du pain béni pour eux»», analyse Maxence Lawniczak, élu CGT.

The company founded by Jeff Bezos can count on the vast pool of Douaisis and the region, with employees ready to make kilometers to go to work.Karim Nemraoui thus fell 300 euros in petrol per month to come from Isbergues (Pas-de-Calais).The Grail being to get a permanent contract.Not easy because Lauwin-Planque's warehouse works with an army of precarious workers.

"Amazon always makes you look at a permanent contract when you are temporary. Il faut tout donner pour la boîte»», balance Karim Nemraoui."They could take more permanent contracts. Du taf, il y en a tout le temps»», confirme Tracy Guerlain.According to her, one of her comrades would wait to be hired...Since 2016.

Annex 2 Amazon France report

The firm seems to have made the choice of a massive remedy for temporary workers, even outside the end of the year.In 2019, the rate of temporary workers in Lauwin-Planque was 47 %, the highest of distribution centers.Today, the percentage of temporary workers remains significantly the same: for 2,473 permanent employees, there are, according to the unions, around 1,800 to 2,000 precarious contracts.These seasonal workers have much fewer rights.He currently do not have access to the parking lot due to work and must borrow shuttles."This adds to them travel time, undoubtedly not paid," creaks Christophe Bocquet, aware of the lack of choice for many.We end up with people at the end of rights, sometimes at Bac+5, who push carts because they need to eat.»»

Short-term

These figures are to balance with the hopes carried by the arrival of the e-commerce giant. « Le rapport entre CDD et CDI est de un à trois, autrement dit si 2500 personnes y travaillent fin 2015, on peut tabler sur 800 salariés en contrat à durée déterminée»», soutenait Christian Poiret, maire de Lauwin-Planque et président de la communauté d’agglomération du Douaisis, deux mois avant l’ouverture.The rated ratio has never been reached.With the arrival of Amazon, the elected official valued his little dormitory town and put on the VRP costume of Jeff Bezos.Seven years later, the president of the Nord Department, interviewed by Le Monde, assumed to have been forcing to attract society: “A workforce which is not necessarily qualified and therefore which can do picking,of the order reception, of the packaging, to be a coaster ... I prefer to have them there only at the RSA.»»

"We often hear this argument of the job offered to young people," replied Cécile Cuny, sociologist and director of a collective work devoted to "workers and logistics workers".But the question is: what jobs?We must question wages, the protection offered by these jobs.How long will they last?Five years, ten years or 30 years?The diagrams in logistics evolve faster than in heavy industry.»»

https: // www.mediacites.FR/Investment/Lille/2020/04/10/COVVI-19-Les-Lenteurs-Coupables-Damazon-Douai-Dans-La-Protection-de-Ses-Salaries/

Within the Agglo community, the opposition elected officials also point to a short-term vision."It is always the same mechanics of blackmail to employment.Many elected officials do not dare to oppose, otherwise the company sets up elsewhere, says Stéphanie Stiernon (EELV).But at what cost ?Is there an economic policy on the territory?It is also necessary to reflect on air pollution or the artificialization of the soil.»»

Intercommunality unlocked 1.75 million euros in 2016 for road development when creating an Amazon sorting center (opposite the historic warehouse) and a 54,000 square meter building for the'Log's company.This does not prevent several residents from complaining of too dense traffic and anarchic truck parking.

On the outskirts of the site, Karim Nemraoui, stuck in his thick black mantle, watches these dozens of heavy goods vehicles.He came to participate in a towing of the yellow vests union, with the hope of being heard.Since 2016 and his entry as a temporary worker, he has known everything: hiring on a permanent contract, a long sick leave for personal reasons, a dismissal for fault two months ago."Pôle Emploi told me that Amazon did not provide me with the right documents to open my unemployment rights.I would like to get them quickly.»» Pour lui, l’idylle avec Amazon est bel et bien terminée.

By starting this survey, I wanted to measure the place of Amazon in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, by obtaining figures on subcontracting, the number of employees or temporary workers, the economic impact on the region ...But the task - and the difficulties - proved to be too large.I therefore tightened my efforts on the Lauwin-Planque distribution center, and mainly on its role as a large employer in the region, due to the offset with the promises made on the quality of the jobs when installing the installation ofAmazon, in 2013.

In addition to the consultation of internal reports, for this survey, I contacted around thirty people working or having worked on Amazon Douai, whether by phone, email, via social networks or by approaching them directly to thesite outing.Despite numerous initial verbal agreements, only a minority finally agreed to testify.

On November 25, I sent 20 specific questions per email to the Amazon press service.The company answered a week later (the day before the publication), by eluding many questions.Impossible for example to know the exact number of temporary workers in Lauwin-Planque, their share in total employment in 2021, or the reasons for a high rate of precariousness outside the period of activity

I finally wanted to question Christian Poiret, the president of Douaisis Agglo, on the record he drew from the arrival of Amazon.Solicited by various means, he did not respond to my request for maintenance.