May I have a word, Amazon?

Dear Amazon
As one of your favourite customers
I just thought I would drop you a line
to wish you a very happy birthday.

I would also like to take this opportunity
to raise a few tincy wincy points with you

Firstly, I use you because you are convenient.
However, I do so with a heavy heart,
because the reports of how you treat your workers
are not good
I do not want to be encourage Amazon
to think
that this is acceptable.
Claims on the BBC website reveal that you expect an item picked every eight seconds,
332 per hour for a 10 hour day. (GULP!)
Surely that is inhumane!?
Maybe you should get robots to do your picking...
Oh wait, Ocardo tried that and their packing warehouse went up in flames...
I bet that slowed down those super robots a bit!
I am the customer who gave up her favourite coffee because it was made by Nestle,
because I did not feel comfortable with their policies.
Be assured that I am not afraid to change my purchasing habits,
even if it requires sacrifice.

Secondly, Amazon, you save me time.
Don't get me wrong I really do appreciate that.
You save me the hassle of touring loads of shops
trying to some elsusive item that I have decided I require...
However, price isn't everything. I also want you to treat your employees well.
Add a £1 per item to the price - and give it to the order pickers.
I really won't mind!
It won't deter me from using you, in fact it may encourage me to!
It may also mean your employees don't have to work ten hour shifts,
which will benefit them and you,
as they will be fitter and fresher for their shifts.

Thirdly, I like the fact I can order goods on the Amazon site for another country
and I do not have to pay international carriage rates to get them delivered.
You can be a great blessing!

However, Amazon., you are 25 years old.
Stop. Taking. Advantage.
Pay. Your. Way.
Yes, pay taxes!
We all have to grow up sometime and become responsible members of our community.
If you could pay the money that you really should,
then we will have more nurses and teachers and Teaching Assistants
and people doing a thousand jobs and earning decent wages.
The benefit to you is that they would have more money to spend at Amazon.
I call this 'Trickle Up' economics.
(It probably has a proper name, but I do not know what it is.)
I gave it that name because it is the opposite
of the'Trickle Down' economic theory the rich advocate
 - which never works, because as the rich increase in wealth,
they find ways of avoiding paying tax!
Leaving the poor to pay a disproportionate percentage of their income to run the country.

In conclusion, Amazon, I hope you stick around for another 25 years,
but sort out the way you treat people and start contributing to the economy.
And we will all live happily ever after.
Daff.