Amazon raises its minimum wage in US to $15/hour
San Francisco, Oct 2 : Amazon.com on Tuesday said it was raising the minimum wage for all its US employees to $15 an hour, starting from November 1.
The move comes after the company faced criticism about the pay and benefits for its warehouse workers.
The new minimum wage will cover more than 2,50,000 current employees and 1,00,000 seasonal holiday employees.
The tech giant said it will also start lobbying for an increase in the federal minimum wage, currently at $7.25 an hour, Efe news reported.
"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive, Amazon, said in a statement.
"We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us."
Amazon's sheer size and market dominance -- it recently became the second US company to notch a market value of $1 trillion -- has made it a favoured corporate target of politicians on the left and right.
The company has been criticised over the way it treats its workers and how much it pays in taxes, as well as its impact on the broader economy and traditional retailers.
Senator Bernie Sanders recently introduced a bill aimed at taxing big companies whose employees rely on federal benefits to make ends meet.
He specifically targeted Bezos by contrasting his vast personal wealth with the compensation of the company's lowest-paid workers.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
