Ex-MSPS1 who slated Amazon works for ...Amazon!
A FORMER Labour MSP was branded a hypocrite yesterday after taking up a new job with Amazon – despite repeatedly criticising the firm over employment practices.
John Park is working in ‘public policy’ for the company and is based in London, according to his LinkedIn page.
Mr Park, former MSP for MidScotland and Fife, used his platform as a politician to criticise employment conditions at Amazon, which has a warehouse in Dunfermline, Fife – and Government funding to the firm.
But he has since confirmed he is now working for the company.
Last night, a Scottish Tory spokesman said: ‘This kind of hypocrisy is to be expected from the Labour party.
‘In their minds, it should be one rule for them, a different one for everyone else. We can only assume that John Park wasn’t sincere in his criticism of the firm when he made it previously.’
Mr Park quit as an MSP in December 2012 to work with the Community trade union. He had championed workers’ rights in his role at Holyrood and repeatedly spoke out against Amazon.
In 2012, he said workers had contacted him ‘about the conditions of employment and the number of casual workers’.
Earlier this year it was disclosed that Amazon had received more than £3.6million in Scottish Government grants since 2007.
Last year, the firm was accused of ‘dehumanising’ its staff as an undercover investigation by a newspaper found that workers faced relentless time targets for every task, with disciplinary action taken against those who could not keep up. It was also revealed staff were earning £7.35 an hour – pennies more than the minimum wage – and were forced to work ‘compulsory’ extra days and hours, with short notice of shift changes.
Speaking previously, Mr Park said that ‘the company has been given a huge amount of public money and it is essential that the Scottish Government is making sure Amazon is sticking to its agreed targets’ on staffing.
He also said Amazon was ‘already facing massive scrutiny over how much tax it pays in the UK’.
In the Holyrood chamber in September 2012, Mr Park said he was ‘unhappy with the employment practices’ of companies such as Amazon. Since quitting as an MSP, Mr Park has continued to criticise Amazon on social media.
Writing on Twitter only last year on stories surrounding Google, Mr Park said he understood the criticism around the internet giant and tax – but said ‘however, it’s not Amazon. Google is a first-class employer and we need more of them in the UK right now’.
Last night, a Greens spokesman said: ‘We hope that all staff at Amazon, including John, are earning at least the living wage.’
Mr Park was contacted yesterday and declined to comment. Amazon did not comment yesterday.