For the third time since 2021, Amazon did not show up to a European Parliament hearing on working conditions this Thursday in Brussels, after MEPs had asked the company to send its most senior executives to testify.
Last year, the European Parliament banned Amazon lobbyists after its representatives skipped the last meeting in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee looking into the US tech giant's working practices inside its European warehouses.
Thursday's hearing took place in the presence of trade union members and Amazon warehouse workers, with an anticipated invitation for Amazon officials. However, MEPs in the committee were dismayed by Amazon’s decision not to send a member of their senior leadership, known as "S-Team", particularly in light of the lobbying ban.
The meeting today had been largely seen as a precondition for the US multinational's representatives to regain access to the European Parliament.
Yet, last week, it emerged that the company was not planning on sending a member from its senior leadership team in charge of working conditions at Amazon warehouses – infuriating both MEPs and campaigners.
Belgian delivery centre of e-commerce firm Amazon, Thursday 03 November 2022 in Antwerp. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
With Amazing having now also missed Thursday's meeting, there are growing calls for greater sanctions on the company, who is being accused of trampling over the EU's democratically-elected institution while repeatedly evading accountability on its labour practices.
"If an Amazon worker would have behaved this way towards Amazon management, they would have already been fired three times over," said UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig, in a letter addressed to MEPs on Wednesday. "Amazon must face consequences for such uncooperative behaviour towards our democratic institutions," he stressed during the hearing.
Meeting in Washington
Amazon confirmed on Thursday that it had not attended the meeting after MEPs had rejected their proposed representatives – two vice-presidents, arguing that they had been "excluded" from the hearing.
"This is perplexing to us, as they are both vice-presidents – a very senior role at Amazon – who oversee large international teams, have significant responsibilities, and are the most relevant to the subject of the hearing," an Amazon spokesperson told The Brussels Times.
According to a letter also seen by The Brussels Times, Amazon has invited European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for a meeting in Washington D.C. to discuss the matter with Senior Vice-President for Global Affairs & Legal, David Zapolsky – a member of the 'S-Team'. Metsola's office did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola at the European Council meeting on Thursday 26 June 2025. Credit: EU
Amazon insists that its proposed representatives were indeed senior enough, claiming that one of them, Stefano Perego, is the company's most senior operations leader in Europe.
However, this is disputed by MEPs who sit on the employment committee, who were expecting the tech giant to send executives who make global management decisions, including those "behind the abusive practices against workers" at the centre of the hearing.
'Repeat offender'
"From our very first exchanges with Amazon, we insisted that a member of the 'S-Team'– the executive leadership based in Seattle – be called to testify," French MEP Leila Chaibi (The Left) told The Brussels Times. "Amazon deliberately ignored this request by offering us a Luxembourg-based executive and a lobbyist with no decision-making power."
Amazon maintains that their chosen executives were better-suited for the hearing, saying in a statement it was "disappointed" in the decision, adding: "we take our engagement with policymakers in Brussels and across Europe extremely seriously."
Yet their proposed representatives clearly did not satisfy MEPs hoping to quiz the company on its working practices. Amazon has often come under fire in Europe for alleged breaches of labour rights when it comes to pay, safety and working conditions.
MEP Leila Chaibi speaking during Thursday's Working conditions in Amazon warehouses on Thursday 26 June 2025. Credit: EU
"Amazon must understand that it is not up to the European Parliament to comply with the terms set by a repeat offender multinational," MEP Chaibi continued. "It is Amazon that must be held accountable: it is not above the law, nor above democratic institutions."
There is palpable anger among campaigners too. Many perceive it as yet another example of the company shirking its democratic accountability in the EU. It is rare for a company to have lobbyists banned from the European Parliament – which only happened once before with Monsanto lobbyists in 2017.
"EU institutions should not engage with a tech monopoly that openly disrespects democratic oversight," Max Bank, LobbyControl campaigner, who helped uncover Amazon’s growing lobbying presence in Brussels in the last few years alongside NGOs Corporate Observatory Europe (CEO ) and SOMO. "This behaviour underscores why the EU must rigorously enforce its tech regulations – regardless of lobbying pressure from across the Atlantic," Bank said.
The hearing took place on Thursday without Amazon’s presence, with testimonies from Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa, as well as trade union representatives from Germany and Amazon warehouse workers from and Poland.
"Warehouse workers are being persecuted with extremely high standards," said trade unionist for Amazon Poland workers Agata Wypior. "Targets are increasing and wages are falling. 44% of workers are giving up their meal breaks to meet productivity standards."
Trade union secretary of ver.di, Monika Di Silvestre, also testified about her experience representing Germany-based workers. "Amazon workers from Germany are not here today because they are afraid of their employer. I find it unacceptable that in Europe and across the world, workers would be afraid of standing up for their rights."
'Safety top priority'
Ahead of the meeting, Amazon sent a letter to the committee, seen by The Brussels Times, addressing some of the issues raised.
"We employ more than 150,000 people across 21 EU Member States in quality jobs with competitive pay and excellent benefits. We pay up to 12% more than the minimum wage across the EU," Amazon said. "Our commitment to employee development has resulted in strong retention rates."
The company added that safety is its "top priority", with "more than 1,500 employees in Europe whose full-time jobs are focused on safety."
For now, it is appears that Amazon lobbyists will not have their ban lifted, amid growing calls by organisations such as UNI Europa and Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) to not let them back in until the company complies with parliament. Notably, Amazon is the sixth largest lobby spender for a single company in the EU.
Moreover, figures from Transparency International have shown that the company is still holding regular meetings with the European Commission. From the beginning of the year until the end of May, the company held 38 meetings with EU Commissioners and senior Commission officials.
