To all amazon haters in HN community, where do you guys do online shopping ? Walmart ?
Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
281–290 of 338 posts
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#282Why not have the delivery and logistics of goods just exist as a general public service?
Then put the potential profits made into running a better society.
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#283Why not have the delivery and logistics of goods just exist as a general public service? Then put the potential profits made into running a better society.
By that train of thought, why not have a socialist society and put the potential profits into running a better society?
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#284Earlier quoted context omitted.
And much needed jobs. So evil!
With any job that requires urinating into bottles to keep low tier managers' KPIs good, I somewhat doubt the attribute "much needed".
There are a shitload of jobs that are (as coronavirus crisis and the list of jobs deemed essential in many countries shows) "much needed" for keeping a country running: anything medical, public transport, childcare/education, logistics, groceries/other food, infrastructure upkeep (electric/water/phone/internet/gas grid).
But unlike jobs that label themselves "system critical" such as banks, investment vulture funds and others of their ilk, the really essential jobs have one thing in common: extremely shitty pay, sometimes outright exploitative working conditions.
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#285Earlier quoted context omitted.
With any job that requires urinating into bottles to keep low tier managers' KPIs good, I somewhat doubt the attribute "much needed".
Thing is, delivery drivers elsewhere actually do this by choice. UPS and FedEx drivers are paid for a set of deliveries. If they can do them quicker then they get the same money but for less time. In NYC finding a restroom can be a real pain and a waste of precious time. It’s far easier to urinate in a bottle on the truck and keep moving. I imagine they eat while on the move too. So I’m not quite sure this is the ind…
> So I’m not quite sure this is the indignity you make it or to be.
It is. Eating during driving is dangerous, even more so with a multi ton delivery truck. Pissing in a bottle is disgusting and a public health risk (where to properly wash hands, for one).
If delivery set prices do not cover that employees get enough time to decently work, then they have to be raised!
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#286Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you clarify what you mean by "pay a fair tax"? I would assume that Amazon (like most publicly traded companies) pays all the taxes that it's required to by law. > “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that…
The problem is that multinational corporations can devise complicated ways to avoid paying taxes in the countries where they do business by exploiting tax havens, as Apple did in Ireland. Amazon has a huge business in the UK with offices, staff, stock and warehouses, but Amazon UK doesn't sell stuff. You are actually buying UK goods from UK warehouses with UK delivery etc but the money goes straight to Amazon EU Sarl…
And the UK could change its laws such that that kind of thing is impossible.
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#287Why not have the delivery and logistics of goods just exist as a general public service? Then put the potential profits made into running a better society.
Because govt normally does poor job in aligning incentive and effort for efficiency. Amazon will try to be most efficient because they are getting back all the profit out of it.
Govt should make sure labour, monopoly laws and taxes are aligned with society's expectations.
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#288Hard to find a non-cynical comment on HN these days, so I'll just say: this is cool. A way for people to get crucial goods in a relatively safe way, and some new jobs with a pay boost in a time of economic instability.
> Hard to find a non-cynical comment on HN these days
Given the history of Amazon, how can you be anything but cynical?
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#289Earlier quoted context omitted.
At least the airlines will get another bailout, after selfishly spending billions on stock buybacks while shrinking seats and hiking fees. Meanwhile, Joe Average, who ended up running a food truck when Wells Fargo "right sized" him during the last recession, will find a comfortable slab of concrete upon which to rest his head, under the viaduct.
> after selfishly spending billions on stock buybacks I've been seeing this on twitter a lot. Is there some context you can provide for why these particular repurchases were in bad taste, given no awareness of the upcoming pandemic. I am assuming you don't view repurchases as 'selfish' generally.
Wells Fargo literally stole their customers money.
Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers
#290Earlier quoted context omitted.
You mean like American Airlines that had a profit of $7.6 billion in 2015, and didn't save dollar one for a rainy day? Instead, it bought back $15 billion worth of stock over six years while raising fees and shrinking seats? “I don’t think we’re ever going to lose money again,” -Doug Parker, American Airlines CEO, 2017. Let 'em fail.
Letting them all fail would do more harm to others than warranted. But letting the weakest one fail as a warning to the others that the bailouts are over and perhaps they should learn to save against rainy days isn't the worst idea.
You let them fail and wipe out the shareholders. Let the shareholders cover debts. Forgive the rest of the debt. Wipe out the management team as well.
Airline comes out nimble and debt free. Average Joe still has airline competition. Shareholders get wiped out, but that’s the risk you run for yield.