A 60-year-old Latin American cleaner is taking her employer and Amazon to an employment tribunal after being fired over a damaged juice carton. Tobeida Cruz, a migrant cleaner working for TC Facilities Management (TCFM) at Amazon's Belvedere warehouse in Bexley, claims she was dismissed for gross misconduct and theft after she threw away one damaged juice carton and placed another in a fridge.
Ms Cruz, speaking through a translator from the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, tearfully said: "I was just doing my job. I didn't steal anything. I thought I was doing my job cleaning. There are nights I can't sleep. This situation has caused me so much stress. Even reliving the story makes me sad. I'm still in disbelief at what happened to me."
She added: "I'm 60, I've been here seven years doing this as a job. It's hard to accept this reality. Since I came to this country, I was working there. This is the first time I've been out of a job. They made me feel like I was a criminal."
According to Ms Cruz, the incident occurred in February while she was cleaning at the Amazon warehouse. She went to help a colleague clean up a spill, picked up a damaged juice carton, and placed it in a discard cage. She then put another damaged carton in the fridge. Hours later, her supervisor spoke to her via an online translator, asking about the juices. She explained that one was in the rubbish and one in the fridge, and showed him.
Ms Cruz said: "At first, I thought it was a joke and thought there was no problem. I continued working as normal. I came in the next day, the juice was still in the fridge. I never thought anything of it. I saw managers take damaged items that weren't for sale to the canteen and leave them for the staff, so I never thought it was an issue."
She was later called into a meeting with her supervisor and manager and told that Amazon had reported her, describing her presence as unusual. She was suspended and escorted out. Two weeks later, she was informed she had been fired for gross misconduct and theft, without any notice. Ms Cruz believes the dismissal may be retaliation for her participation in a workers' strike at the facility in 2023.
TC Facilities Management responded to the allegations, stating: "Ms Cruz's account is misleading and does not reflect the full circumstances. TC Facilities Management follows established procedures in all employment matters and is committed to fair treatment, as well as full compliance with equality and employment law. We reject any suggestion that this decision was influenced by discrimination or retaliation."
In 2023, workers at Amazon's Belvedere warehouse went on strike over pay conditions. Ms Cruz was the last remaining employee at the site who took part in the strike. She said: "Since the strike, they've tried to change things in our contract, and I'd always come to my union for advice. I totally think this decision about the juice came from the strike. The juice never left the company."
She added: "They could have told me never to do it again or suspended me for a few days. To dismiss me like this isn't fair. I think they saw me as a problem. I've always been obedient in what they asked me to do, but the only things I disputed were when they cut my hours. I think they use situations like this to get rid of people, maybe because of our age, health conditions, or union membership. They don't seem to see us as equals. Maybe because we don't speak English fluently, you'd think we are invisible to them."
UVW is representing Ms Cruz. Petros Elia, UVW General Secretary, said: "Sacking a 60-year-old cleaner over a damaged carton of juice is not just disproportionate; it exposes how outsourced, low-paid migrant cleaners are too often treated as invisible and disposable. These are the workers who keep workplaces safe and running every day, yet they are treated as expendable just like the damaged goods they are asked to clear away. We believe Amazon's actions in reporting Tobeida and seeking her removal were driven by prejudice against migrant workers, in breach of s.41 of the Equality Act 2010, and that is why we are taking this case to the Employment Tribunal — not just because Tobeida deserves justice, but to ensure that these types of employers are held accountable for how the workers who keep their sites running are treated. And we won't stop until justice is done."
Amazon declined to comment.
