Amazon workers stage strike, protests on Black Friday

Amazon employees stage strike, protests on Black Friday

Amazon staff and their supporters have rallied in dozens of nations to protest the retail large’s labor insurance policies, in keeping with campaigners.

From Germany and France to the USA, from India to Japan and Britain, Amazon staff downed their instruments or joined marches on Friday demanding higher working situations and truthful wages.

The strikes coincided with one of many busiest buying days of the yr, Black Friday, when important reductions push gross sales, resulting in additional stress for retail and warehouse employees.

The Make Amazon Pay coalition, which known as for strikes, mentioned industrial motion and protests have been happening in additional than 30 nations.

In Germany, there have been demonstrations at 9 of Amazon’s 20 warehouses within the nation, though the corporate mentioned on Friday morning that the overwhelming majority of its staff within the nation have been working as typical.

The Verdi union, which known as the strikes in Germany, demanded that the corporate acknowledge collective agreements for retail and mail order.

It additionally known as for an extra collective settlement on employees’ well-being, with a spokesman noting that warehouse employees can stroll 15-20 kilometers (9.3-12.4 miles) per day on the job.

A spokesperson for Amazon in Germany mentioned the corporate “presents good pay, advantages and growth alternatives – all in a beautiful work setting”.

Amongst different issues, the spokesperson pointed to a pay rise for Germany’s Amazon logistics staff from September, with beginning wages now at 13 euros an hour or extra, together with bonus funds.

However with inflation at its highest charge in many years at greater than 10 % in Germany, a Verdi spokesman in Koblenz known as the newest wage enhance “a drop within the bucket.”

“With the small amount of cash or wage you earn, you can’t reside on this time,” mentioned Bastian Zafi, an Amazon employee in Germany. “I’ve three kids and we each work and we now have a giant drawback. As a result of prices have risen so enormously you can’t reside on what you earn.”

In France, the place the SUD and CGT commerce union teams known as for a strike on the nation’s eight warehouses, campaigners mentioned 60 folks demonstrated exterior Amazon’s Bretigny-sur-Orge website close to Paris on Friday morning, whereas one other 50 stayed at residence, exterior a complete of 5,000 full-time and momentary employees at that place.

Amazon France mentioned there had been no indicators of disruption to operations to this point.

SUD requested for a Black Friday bonus of 1,000 euros, which is double the cost supplied by Amazon, in addition to a bonus of 150 euros per weekend labored within the fourth quarter.

Within the US, employees at an Amazon facility in St Peters, Missouri walked off their jobs, whereas unions representing retail employees in New York Metropolis staged demonstrations exterior Amazon proprietor Jeff Bezos’ condo constructing.

There was no quick remark from Amazon US.

Protests and demonstrations additionally passed off in a number of different nations and territories, together with Argentina, Eire, South Africa, Palestine, Bangladesh and Australia.

Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Division Retailer Union of the USA, mentioned Amazon is denying employees their humanity.

“Amazon employees, everywhere in the world, it doesn’t matter what nation they reside and work in, expertise the identical dehumanizing abuse from Amazon. Situations are so unhealthy for Amazon that there’s a turnover charge of 150 % per yr,” he informed Al Jazeera.

“The price of dwelling going up simply makes it worse,” he mentioned.

“Amazon’s enterprise mannequin is to deal with folks like robots. They’re managed by an algorithm, they’re triggered by textual content messages on their cellphone, individuals are afraid to go to the toilet as a result of they may lose their jobs if they do not meet their productiveness quota.”

Amazon, which has a worldwide workforce of greater than 1.5 million, most of whom are hourly, has refused to acknowledge unions.

It beforehand defended its labor insurance policies, saying the corporate presents “aggressive pay” and “complete advantages.”

The New York Occasions reported earlier this month that the corporate deliberate to put off as many as 10,000 employees.


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