"Amazon Japan delivery drivers form union, claiming overwork" 14 June 2022

A group of 10 people working as freelance delivery drivers for Amazon.com Inc.'s Japan unit have unionized and handed over a letter to the online shopping giant's Tokyo headquarters demanding that their poor working conditions be corrected, union members said Monday.

The union claimed that, despite working as freelance drivers, Amazon Japan G.K. effectively controls their work hours by sending delivery instructions via smartphones and that outsourcing of delivery operations is a way to avoid signing labour contracts.

Lawyers and supporters of the group said this is the first time Amazon delivery drivers have unionized in Japan.

The members, who make deliveries in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, said in a press conference in Tokyo they have been made to work excessively long hours, especially after the company last year switched to artificial intelligence to decide the number of packages to deliver and each driver's area of coverage.

An Amazon official said the company has "received the letter and is scrutinizing the content of their requests."

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The union members argue that they meet the criteria of workers under the Labour Standards Act as Amazon sends instructions directly to them and manages their working hours.

The workers make deliveries from an Amazon warehouse in Yokosuka based on outsourcing agreements with primary and secondary subcontractors of the company.

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The workers also requested compensation for pay deductions made for such reasons as packages being damaged during delivery.

There are many drivers across the country working under similar conditions to the union members, and the latest move in Yokosuka could amplify calls for improvement of labour conditions.