Amazon faces charges of illegally firing warehouse worker in US

Amazon is facing charges of violating labour laws in the US for firing warehouse worker Courtney Bowden of Pennsylvania, according to a complaint issued by the US government's National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Bowden was among many Amazon workers who were advocating for better working conditions for warehouse workers amid the pandemic.

She started advocating paid time off for warehouse workers in December 2019, according to the complaint.

She was joined by others in demanding paid time off and by March their efforts yielded result when Amazon heeded to their demand.

But Bowden had alleged that Amazon by then had started retaliation for her involvement in the campaign.

In March, she was sacked abruptly over an alleged incident involving her supervisor.

Bowden alleged that Amazon threatened and ultimately fired her because she discussed about pay and other workplace issues with her co-workers.

As this is a legally protected activity, NLRB found merit her allegations.

A hearing of her case before an administrative law judge is currently scheduled for March 9, 2021, said the BuzzFeed News report on Friday.

If Amazon loses the case, it might have to pay Bowden some back wages which would mean little loss in terms of financial terms for the e-commerce giant.

However, it could mean a big win for workers trying to bring union representation to the company, said the report.