In 40 Countries, Amazon Is Facing Protests And Strikes On Black Friday

(CTN News) – There will be protests and walkouts by Amazon warehouse workers in about 40 countries during Black Friday sales, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

In a campaign dubbed “Make Amazon Pay,” Amazon employees across the world are demanding higher wages and better working conditions as the cost-of-living crisis worsens.

Trade unions are coordinating the campaign with the support of environmental and civil society organizations.

Christy Hoffman, general secretary for UNI Global Union, one of the organizers, said that the tech giant needs to end its awful, unsafe practices immediately.

Employee activism and a union drive have been a long-running issue at the e-commerce giant, which has been accused of unfair labor practices. An upstart union was elected by workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, earlier this year.

According to Amazon spokesman David Nyberg, “While we’re not successful at everything, we take our role and our impact very seriously,” despite our imperfections.

The company plans to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, he said, and continues to offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits.

The latest collective action is being spearheaded by unions in France and Germany – CGT and Ver. di – that are holding coordinated strikes in 18 major warehouses across key European markets.

Several warehouses, including one in Coventry, are scheduled to be protested by workers affiliated with the GMB union.

According to Amanda Gearing, a senior GMB organizer, Amazon workers in Coventry are overworked and underpaid. They will assemble to demand a pay increase from £10.50 to £15 an hour.

Last month, Amazon announced that warehouse workers in the UK ,

Would receive a £500 (US$607) bonus if they walked out during their shift. Final payment is contingent on no unauthorized absences between November 22 and December 24. Payments linked to attendance might be construed by the GMB as an unconstitutional inducement not to strike.

Protests and rallies will take place in more than 10 US cities and outside Jeff Bezos’ apartment on 5th Avenue in New York.

There will also be multiple protests in India, while there will be a protest in front of the company’s headquarters in Tokyo by members of a recently formed union. Dhaka and Chittagong will witness a march by garment workers in Amazon’s supply chain.

There will be protests near Amazon’s proposed offices in Cape Town, which are being built on sacred land considered sacred by indigenous people in South Africa.

In light of Amazon’s warning that Christmas might not be as busy as usual, some unions expressed concern about the current economic climate. Laying off 10,000 employees will also complicate wage negotiations.

The French CFE-CGC union delegate Laurent Cretin said the company would employ 880 workers in a warehouse in Chalon-sur-Saone this Christmas season, down from 1,000 previously. He attributed the decrease to tighter consumer spending and a shift to robotized warehouses.

SEE ALSO:

Apple Maker Foxconn Apologizes For Hiring Error At COVID-hit China Plant