EU Parliament snubs Amazon from hearing over representative dispute

Published connected 26/06/2025 - 11:29 GMT+2•Updated 13:39

Unions and lawmakers called for much measures connected apical of Amazon’s entree regularisation to nan European Parliament aft nan US tech elephantine grounded to present a elder head earlier nan Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) committee for a grilling connected workers’ conditions connected Thursday.

The Parliament has made nan proceeding a precondition for Amazon regaining entree to its premises, aft nan tech giant's entree badges were withdrawn successful February past twelvemonth because nan institution grounded to be a bid of hearings and mill visits successful 2021 and 2023 related to workers’ rights.

Amazon antecedently said it would nonstop 2 Europe-based vice-presidents based connected their expertise, alternatively than Senior Vice President Russell Grandinetti, who nan committee had asked to see, arsenic Euronews reported.  

The committee refused to judge nan alteration of speakers and truthful nan proceeding went up without Amazon.

An Amazon spokesperson said nan institution was “disappointed” by nan committee’s decision. 

“We were fresh and consenting to stock accusation astir our operations successful nan European Union and our efforts to group nan modular for a safe and modern moving situation successful nan logistics industry,” nan connection said.

In a missive seen by Euronews, Amazon wrote to nan President of nan Parliament, Roberta Metsola, connected Monday suggesting mounting up a gathering pinch Senior Vice President for Global Affairs & Legal, David Zapolsky, successful Washington, to “discuss broader argumentation issues of interest” to nan Parliament.

EU contracts

UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig said astatine nan proceeding that “Amazon must look consequences for specified uncooperative behaviour towards our antiauthoritarian institutions.”

The national called for making nationalist each nan EU organization contracts pinch Amazon and its subsidiaries, and “to suspend them pending a reappraisal of their compatibility pinch EU procurement laws and ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and terminate those recovered successful breach.”

Lawmaker Liesbeth Sommen (Belgium/EPP), besides called for nan prohibition to continue. “We should support it, it’s not OK that nan guidance is not here, location is nary respect for our house.”

Laila Chaibi (France/GUE-NGL) said much action is needed and called “to put an extremity to immoderate statement pinch Amazon”.

Tougher measures are besides demanded by NGO’s, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), LobbyControl and SOMO.  

“Amazon's repeated disregard for antiauthoritarian scrutiny should get siren bells ringing. It is clear nan institution should not regain its lobby badges, but MEPs should besides extremity gathering pinch a institution which intelligibly does not want to play by nan rules,” said Bram Vranken, a CEO researcher.

Euronews reported earlier this week that, contempt nan entree badges being revoked, Amazon managed to unafraid astatine slightest 66 meetings pinch lawmakers to talk exertion legislation.