Amazon accused of 'intolerable conditions' at Scottish warehouse

Amazon has been accused of creating "intolerable working conditions" after allegations that workers in Scotland are sleeping in tents near the company's warehouse to save money commuting to work.

British news outlet The Independent reported that at least three tents have been pitched in woodland near the M90 motorway in Dunfermline, Fife - close to one of the retail giant's "fulfilment centres".

Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: "Amazon should be ashamed that they pay their workers so little that they have to camp out in the dead of winter to make ends meet.

"Amazon need to take a long, hard look at themselves and change their ways.

"They pay a small amount of tax and received millions of pounds from the SNP Government so the least they should do is pay the proper living wage.

"The fares the company charge for transport swallow up a lot of the weekly wage which is forcing people to seek ever more desperate ways of making work pay."

He made the comments after the the Courier newspaper published photographs of tents near the site that it said were being lived in by Amazon workers.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, a Sunday Times investigation found that temporary workers at the warehouse were being penalised for taking time off sick and put under pressure to hit targets for picking orders.

It also claimed that although workers could walk up to 10 miles a day doing their jobs, water dispensers were regularly empty.

Amazon has hired 20,000 agency workers for the peak Christmas season, more than doubling its workforce. Staff have to pay to catch an agency-provided bus to the Dunfermline site.

In a statement, Amazon said it "provides a safe and positive workplace with competitive pay and benefits from day one.

"We are proud to have been able to create several thousand new permanent roles in our UK fulfilment centres over the last five years. One of the reasons we've been able to attract so many people to join us is that we offer great jobs and a positive work environment with opportunities for growth.

"We offer associates a range of roles in our fulfilment centres, depending on their preferences. Some roles involve walking a number of miles each day, a fact we make clear during the recruitment process. Many associates seek these positions as they enjoy the active nature of the work. There are many opportunities for people who prefer less active roles.

"As with nearly all companies, we expect a certain level of performance from our associates. Productivity targets are set objectively, based on previous performance levels achieved by our workforce."

Water is readily available for staff as they performed their duties, Amazon said, and it has a "fair and predictable system to record staff attendance and take into account individual circumstances".