Amazon workers worldwide announce mass strikes on Black Friday
The "Make Amazon Pay" strike will span 20 countries and involve over 80 organizations demanding justice for employees and environmental protection.
Photo: wikipedia.org, CC BY 2.0
Amazon workers, in collaboration with international unions, plan a global strike from Friday, November 29, to Monday, December 2, according to organizers of the action, unions UNI Global Union and Progressive International.
The "Make Amazon Pay" movement will span over 20 countries, including France, Germany, and India. Organizers claim that thousands of demonstrators will join the protests, uniting with 80 unions and public groups.
The movement's initiators accuse Amazon of violating workers' rights, causing environmental damage, and threatening democracy.
UNI Global Union General Secretary Christy Hoffman stated that the company, owned by Jeff Bezos, suppresses workers' efforts to unionize. "Despite massive resources aimed at preventing labor organizing, global protests showcase workers' determination to achieve justice," she said.
The "Make Amazon Pay" protests are being held for the fifth consecutive year. In 2024, attention focuses on the heavy workloads of employees during the holiday sales season, which activists claim undermine their health and well-being.
The strike could lead to delivery delays, potentially affecting millions of customers worldwide.
According to ABC News, in response to criticism, Amazon stated that it provides employees with "excellent working conditions, fair pay, and career growth opportunities."
However, activists call such claims "deliberate misrepresentation" and promise to continue fighting for workers' rights and environmental protection.
Additionally, thousands of Amazon workers in Germany protested against unfair working conditions, according to UNI Global Union.
Protests took place at key company warehouses in Bad Hersfeld, Graben, Dortmund-Werne, Leipzig, Koblenz, and Rheinberg.
In Bad Hersfeld, the center of the protests, employees, activists, and international speakers gathered, including Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, and Silke Zimmer from the ver.di union.
Participants demand fair wages, collective bargaining, and respect for workers' rights. The protests are part of the global Make Amazon Pay movement, uniting employees worldwide, from India to the United States. "Corporations cannot break the strength of workers standing together," Hoffman stated, emphasizing the importance of international solidarity against corporate exploitation.
It was earlier reported that the German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp announced layoffs of 11,000 workers in its steel division, citing rising energy costs and an economic downturn in the country.
Additionally, Spanish farmers protested, demanding that the European Commission protect domestic producers from an influx of cheap Ukrainian grain and stop market speculation.