German Amazon staff stage strikes
Amazon employees went on strike at seven locations in Germany on Monday, demanding better wages as the US online retail giant launched its two-day global shopping discount extravaganza called Prime Day.
Amazon employees went on strike at seven locations in Germany on Monday, demanding better wages as the US online retail giant launched its two-day global shopping discount extravaganza called Prime Day.
Workers in Germany walked out early on Monday, with Orhan Akman, a spokesperson for labour union Verdi, saying: “Well over 2,000 took part. That is more than we expected.
“We are satisfied that we have succeeded in putting the subject back in the spotlight and our message is that we won’t give in.”
Akman said the strikes would continue on Tuesday.
“Amazon offers these discounts to customers at the expense of its own employees’ salaries and by fleeing collective bargaining,” he said.
Amazon had insisted in advance that Monday’s strike would not affect deliveries.
The strike coincided with Amazon’s announcement on Monday that it would create another 1,000 jobs in Poland as it opens a new logistics depot in the country’s southwest near the German and Czech borders.
The company said it would offer new employees in Poland a “competitive salary” of 20 zloty (€4.68) per hour gross.
In Germany, Amazon employees start with a minimum wage of €10.78 per hour before tax, according to management figures. After 24 months’ employment, they draw an average monthly salary of €2,397 before deductions.
The company has faced several rounds of walkouts by workers seeking better conditions. In 2018, about 50 strikes were organised in Europe and in a rare show of cross-border solidarity some were co-ordinated to hit simultaneously in several countries.
In April, Amazon trade union representatives from 15 countries met in Berlin to co-ordinate their efforts.
In the US, employees at Amazon’s warehouse in Minnesota planned a walk-out for the first six hours of Prime Day to highlight their wage demands, according to media reports.
Protests were also planned at seven Amazon sites in the UK.
GMB, the union for Amazon workers in the UK, claims some of its members “have to use plastic bottles to urinate in instead of going to the toilet” and “pregnant women have been forced to stand for hours”.
Germany’s Verdi argues that money for better wages is “available” as in the first quarter of 2019 alone Amazon posted record profits of €3.2bn.
Amazon rejects the union’s demands and sees no need for collective agreements.