Amazon comes out in favour of higher minimum wage, lower taxes in position statement

In USA advocacy by companies is a very real phenomenon, with corporations having as much rights as citizens to play on the political playing field.

Amazon has been the target of much campaigning by politicians on both the left and right, and have now posted a document setting out their positions on a number of hot button issues.

Some of them are self-serving, as that “Corporate tax codes should incentivize investment in the economy and job creation” which is of course code for low corporate taxes, though the company does support the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s work with global governments to review the international tax system.

Others directly address criticisms that the company exploits workers, with a call to increase the minimum wage in USA from $7.25, with the company claiming it already pays a minimum wage of $15 an hour to all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees across the U.S.A.

The position statement also addresses other issues, such as its work with the government, with Amazon, similar to Microsoft, saying governments deserve access to the best technology. Similarly, it calls for regulation of facial recognition technology, saying it can be used or both good and ill. Both positions, of course, abdicate decisions about morality to law makers, which is unlikely to relieve criticisms from activists.

Other positions are more clear cut – Amazon supports diversity, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration reform and data privacy rights, and supports efforts to reduce climate change.

The position paper does not address other burning Amazon issues however such as automation and the destruction of the retail sector and the jobs they offered.

Read the full document at Amazon here.