UK, EU, U$A
Hundreds of Amazon workers hold Black Friday strike
Hundreds of workers at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse have joined strike action by company employees across Europe and the United States.
Unions are calling for higher minimum pay and improved working conditions – and say this is the biggest industrial action in Amazon’s history, designed to coincide with Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The firm has insisted that customers won’t be affected.
Amazon faces worker protests on Black Friday: #MakeAmazonPay spreads globally
By Prapti Upadhayay
Nov 25, 2023
Global coalition of Amazon employees and activists protest on Black Friday, demanding workers' rights, tax adherence, and higher environmental standards.
On Black Friday, a coalition of Amazon warehouse employees and activists worldwide will unite in a day of protests, strikes, and actions known as #MakeAmazonPay. The demands are clear: respect workers' right to unionize, adhere to tax laws, and commit to higher environmental standards.
The protests follow a Motherboard report revealing Amazon's extensive surveillance of workers, unions, and environmental movements. The company closely monitors union activity, tracks environmentalist groups on social media, and reportedly hires the Pinkerton Detective Agency for surveillance.
#MakeAmazonPay is not just a call for change within Amazon but a broader plea for corporate responsibility, echoing concerns about labor rights, environmental impact, and fair taxation. As Black Friday kicks off Amazon's peak season, these coordinated global actions serve as a powerful reminder that workers and activists are demanding accountability and change.
By Prapti Upadhayay
Nov 25, 2023
Global coalition of Amazon employees and activists protest on Black Friday, demanding workers' rights, tax adherence, and higher environmental standards.
On Black Friday, a coalition of Amazon warehouse employees and activists worldwide will unite in a day of protests, strikes, and actions known as #MakeAmazonPay. The demands are clear: respect workers' right to unionize, adhere to tax laws, and commit to higher environmental standards.
A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest outside the Amazon headquarters during Black Friday in London, Britain, November 24, 2023.(REUTERS
Protests will span Amazon's global supply chain, from Brazil to the United States, with actions in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Australia. In Germany alone, 3,000 workers are expected to strike at six Amazon facilities, while in Bangladesh, garment workers who produce Amazon-sold clothes will voice their concerns.
We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join.
The #MakeAmazonPay statement, signed by 39 organizations and directed at Amazon, highlights the stark contrast between the company's success and its treatment of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reads, "Amazon warehouse workers risked their lives as essential workers, and only briefly received an increase in pay."
The demands, supported by over 50 social justice organizations, include higher wages, reinstating fired workers who spoke up about safety concerns, allowing union access to Amazon worksites, achieving zero emissions by 2030, and ending the sale of surveillance-dependent devices like Amazon Ring. Amazon is also urged to pay taxes in full where economic activity occurs.
While Amazon spokesperson Conor Sweeney defends the company's record, emphasizing safe working conditions, a $15 minimum wage, and climate change initiatives, critics argue that Amazon's success is at the expense of public institutions. Alex Cobham from the Tax Justice Network notes, "If we allow Amazon to keep all these excess profits, it will only strengthen its monopoly position."
Protests will span Amazon's global supply chain, from Brazil to the United States, with actions in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Australia. In Germany alone, 3,000 workers are expected to strike at six Amazon facilities, while in Bangladesh, garment workers who produce Amazon-sold clothes will voice their concerns.
We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join.
The #MakeAmazonPay statement, signed by 39 organizations and directed at Amazon, highlights the stark contrast between the company's success and its treatment of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reads, "Amazon warehouse workers risked their lives as essential workers, and only briefly received an increase in pay."
The demands, supported by over 50 social justice organizations, include higher wages, reinstating fired workers who spoke up about safety concerns, allowing union access to Amazon worksites, achieving zero emissions by 2030, and ending the sale of surveillance-dependent devices like Amazon Ring. Amazon is also urged to pay taxes in full where economic activity occurs.
While Amazon spokesperson Conor Sweeney defends the company's record, emphasizing safe working conditions, a $15 minimum wage, and climate change initiatives, critics argue that Amazon's success is at the expense of public institutions. Alex Cobham from the Tax Justice Network notes, "If we allow Amazon to keep all these excess profits, it will only strengthen its monopoly position."
The protests follow a Motherboard report revealing Amazon's extensive surveillance of workers, unions, and environmental movements. The company closely monitors union activity, tracks environmentalist groups on social media, and reportedly hires the Pinkerton Detective Agency for surveillance.
#MakeAmazonPay is not just a call for change within Amazon but a broader plea for corporate responsibility, echoing concerns about labor rights, environmental impact, and fair taxation. As Black Friday kicks off Amazon's peak season, these coordinated global actions serve as a powerful reminder that workers and activists are demanding accountability and change.
BY BRAD DRESS - 11/24/23
THE HILL
Amazon workers in multiple countries went on strike for Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, to protest the e-commerce giant’s labor practices.
The strike is organized by the UNI Global Union, which represents workers around the world and said it has mobilized workers from more than 30 countries, including Italy, Germany and the U.S., to speak out against Amazon’s treatment of employees.
Hundreds of workers were striking Friday at warehouses in Coventry, U.K., and in multiple German cities, Reuters reported. Additional walkouts were expected later in the day in other countries.
Officials with the GMB Union, a large trade union in the U.K. that organized protesters there, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the strike on Friday was the “the biggest industrial action in Amazon’s history.”
The effort is part of the “Make Amazon Pay” campaign, which has organized strikes for the past four years. Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, said workers around the world are “standing up to Make Amazon Pay.”
“This day of action grows every year because the movement to hold Amazon accountable keeps getting bigger and stronger,” Hoffman said in a statement. “Workers know that it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what your job title is, we are all united in the fight for higher wages, an end to unreasonable quotas, and a voice on the job.”
Strikers argue that Amazon pays warehouse workers lower wages compared to employees in other sectors of the company and for better health and safety policies. Some also raise concerns about the e-commerce corporation’s environmental footprint.
Jessie Moreno, an Amazon Teamsters member from Local 396 in California, said she and other works “are on strike against Amazon’s unfair labor practices.”
“We have taken our picket line across the country and now we’re joining our colleagues from around the world to demand respect, fair wages, and a workplace where our health and safety are a priority,” Moreno said in a statement. “Amazon is no match for the power of its workers united.”
Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis said the “vast majority of these allegations are false or misinformed.”
“The fact is Amazon has created millions of good jobs, while helping create and support hundreds of thousands of small businesses around the world. We offer great pay and benefits for our employees,” Paradis said in a statement to The Hill, “with great career opportunities, and provide a modern and safe working environment for all.
“We continue to invest in the countries and communities where we operate, and we’re proud to be the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy,” Paradis added. “That’s part of our drive to be net zero carbon by 2040, with billions already invested in packaging reduction, clean energy and electric vehicles.”
—Updated at 10:51 a.m.
Amazon workers in multiple countries went on strike for Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, to protest the e-commerce giant’s labor practices.
The strike is organized by the UNI Global Union, which represents workers around the world and said it has mobilized workers from more than 30 countries, including Italy, Germany and the U.S., to speak out against Amazon’s treatment of employees.
Hundreds of workers were striking Friday at warehouses in Coventry, U.K., and in multiple German cities, Reuters reported. Additional walkouts were expected later in the day in other countries.
Officials with the GMB Union, a large trade union in the U.K. that organized protesters there, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the strike on Friday was the “the biggest industrial action in Amazon’s history.”
The effort is part of the “Make Amazon Pay” campaign, which has organized strikes for the past four years. Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, said workers around the world are “standing up to Make Amazon Pay.”
“This day of action grows every year because the movement to hold Amazon accountable keeps getting bigger and stronger,” Hoffman said in a statement. “Workers know that it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what your job title is, we are all united in the fight for higher wages, an end to unreasonable quotas, and a voice on the job.”
Strikers argue that Amazon pays warehouse workers lower wages compared to employees in other sectors of the company and for better health and safety policies. Some also raise concerns about the e-commerce corporation’s environmental footprint.
Jessie Moreno, an Amazon Teamsters member from Local 396 in California, said she and other works “are on strike against Amazon’s unfair labor practices.”
“We have taken our picket line across the country and now we’re joining our colleagues from around the world to demand respect, fair wages, and a workplace where our health and safety are a priority,” Moreno said in a statement. “Amazon is no match for the power of its workers united.”
Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis said the “vast majority of these allegations are false or misinformed.”
“The fact is Amazon has created millions of good jobs, while helping create and support hundreds of thousands of small businesses around the world. We offer great pay and benefits for our employees,” Paradis said in a statement to The Hill, “with great career opportunities, and provide a modern and safe working environment for all.
“We continue to invest in the countries and communities where we operate, and we’re proud to be the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy,” Paradis added. “That’s part of our drive to be net zero carbon by 2040, with billions already invested in packaging reduction, clean energy and electric vehicles.”
—Updated at 10:51 a.m.
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