Two Amazon workers at the company’s Barcelona logistics centre refused to unload a delivery driver’s truck because he spoke Catalan. The incident occurred at Amazon’s massive Zona Franca warehouse, where staff threatened to report the driver to his company.
The workers insisted the driver switch to Spanish. They even threatened a €10,000 penalty against his employer if he didn’t comply. Plataforma per la Llengua, a Catalan language advocacy group, has released audio recordings of the confrontation.
“Here we speak Spanish,” the Amazon workers told him. Moreover, they called him rude for continuing in Catalan. The driver argued they should understand and serve customers in Catalan, given they’re working in Catalunya.
This isn’t the first time this Amazon facility has faced complaints. Plataforma per la Llengua previously reported the warehouse for violating Catalunya’s language policy law. The company has been reported again this week for continuing these violations.
Article 32 of the law is clear. Businesses operating in Catalunya must be able to serve customers in either official language. However, these Amazon workers apparently didn’t get the memo.
The driver eventually managed to unload his truck. Nevertheless, the confrontation put his job at risk and could have cost his employer €10,000.
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