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Senators scrutinise Amazon/Adecco labour hire contract

In a foreshadowing of the 'same job, same pay' debates that lie ahead, a Parliamentary committee has grilled Amazon over its contingent staffing arrangements, suggesting its goal of being 'the best employer on the planet' is inconsistent with engaging on-hire workers on different terms and pay.

The Senate Select Committee on Work and Care is inquiring into the employment arrangements in place for working carers and has been looking specifically at differences between directly engaged and labour hire workers.

Giving evidence last week, Amazon's Mirinda Espidio-Garcia, who oversees the fulfilment network, said Amazon directly employs about 2,200 people across its retail and operations teams, while labour hire companies (primarily Adecco), support it with about 1,300 extra people during peak times.

Since launching in Australia with a largely casual workforce in 2019, Amazon has set, and met, a goal of employing two-thirds of its fulfilment centre staff directly, she explained...