More Than 400 Lawmakers From 34 Countries Back ‘Make Amazon Pay’ Campaign

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LONDON (Reuters) – More than 400 lawmakers from 34 countries have signed a letter to Amazon.com Inc boss Jeff Bezos backing a campaign that claims the tech giant has “dodged and dismissed … debts to workers, societies, and the planet,” organisers said.

The “Make Amazon Pay” campaign was launched on Nov. 27 – the annual Black Friday shopping bonanza – by a coalition of over 50 organisations, with demands including improvements to working conditions and full tax transparency.

The letter’s signatories include U.S. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Vice President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, co-convenors Progressive International and UNI Global Union said.

“We urge you to act decisively to change your policies and priorities to do right by your workers, their communities, and our planet,” the letter said.

“We stand ready to act in our respective legislatures to support the movement that is growing around the world to Make Amazon Pay.”

Amazon, the world’s biggest retailer, has faced criticism for its tax practices before, including in the UK and the EU. It says its profits remain low given retail is a highly competitive, low margin business and it invests heavily.

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