Hard work at warehouse but boss says it’s all about having fun

While many of us will hope to fulfil Christmas wishes with the click of a mouse over the coming weeks, spare a thought for the hard-working souls working flat out to make those dreams come true.

Amazon’s Dunfermline fulfilment centre is a busy place all year round, but to say it is a hive of activity at the moment would be an understatement.

Hundreds of workers are negotiating the Fife facility, which is Amazon’s largest fulfilment centre at around the size of 14 football pitches, on a daily basis, and that will continue apace as the big day looms ever larger.

Criticism continues from some quarters about working practices, but Amazon general manager Paul Ashraf insists that the company cares about its staff — and is disappointed by the perception some people have of the business.

“I think from my point of view we’re a global brand, so that brings headlines in relation to what people think about Amazon and this place,” he said.

“From my point of view I try to focus on what’s within my control. I focus very heavily, especially in peak times, on associate experience.

“We know it’s a very intense time for them, as it’s a month of hard work for everybody, but we’ve got to make sure that it’s safe for them and that they have fun along the way. “They’re the key priorities. “It’s hard work at this time of year, of course it is.”

Turning his attention to the recent Black Friday, Mr Ashraf said: “We know it’s our busiest day of the year, which it was again this year, and we basically plan everything to make sure that it goes as smoothly as possible.

“Black Friday went very, very smoothly and Cyber Monday went very, very smoothly as well.

“We make sure we keep people here safe, so it’s all about safety first, and make sure from an associate experience point of view we try and have as much fun as possible.

“We had DJs on every floor on Black Friday, we had tombolas, we had raffles — it’s all about keeping associates safe and having fun.” But not everyone sees it that way. Fife People’s Assembly and the Fife Trades Union Council staged a demonstration on Black Friday to protest against alleged exploitation of workers.

A spokesman said: “Amazon has it within its power to create a truly first class working environment, but this is always negated by the drive for bigger and better profits at all costs.”

I focus very heavily, especially in peak times, on associate experience. PAUL ASHRAF