Amazon faces Black Friday strikes by workers across Europe – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) – Amazon faces strikes by warehouse workers and delivery drivers across Europe as its busiest weekend of the year begins.

Unions in Germany, Italy and France are calling on the company to pay its workers fairly and respect their right to join unions. The strikes were called to coincide with Amazon’s annual Black Friday event, which kicks off a four-day business deal that culminates with Cyber ​​Monday.

The action is part of a larger global protest organized by a group called Make Amazon Pay. The coalition of unions, environmentalists and tax activists called for protests in 22 countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

The international coalition is also demanding that Amazon “pay its fair share of taxes and commit to true environmental sustainability.”

An Amazon spokesperson said the groups represented a variety of interests and that while the company was “not perfect in any area,” it took its role and impact seriously.

“We are inventing and investing significantly in all of these areas, playing an important role in the fight against climate change with the Climate Pledge commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040, continuing to offer competitive salaries and great benefits, and inventing new ways to keep our employees safe and healthy in our operating network, to name a few, ”added the spokesperson.

Some of its workers are not convinced.

German giant union Verdi staged a strike by warehouse workers to coincide with the Berlin launch of “Amazon Workers Against Surveillance,” a group protesting against “the company’s use of handheld scanners and applications. , navigation tools and cameras to monitor its workforce 24/7. “

“Working almost anywhere at Amazon is stressful and dangerous to your health,” the group said in a statement posted on its website.

In Italy, workers plan to block warehouses and trucks at all Amazon centers across the country, and thousands of drivers are expected to strike on Friday.

Storekeepers are also on strike in France, notably in a logistics center in Lille, to support demands for salary increases and bonuses, and the end of compulsory overtime.

They told CNN that Amazon asked employees to work all four Saturdays in December, in addition to their regular hours. For that overtime, they would get a bonus of 120 euros ($ 136) under certain conditions, the workers said.

It’s unclear how disruptive the strikes will be for Amazon, but this holiday shopping season is proving tough for retailers trying to satisfy solid consumer demand in the face of supply chain disruptions and shortages of workers and some goods.

Make Amazon Pay was launched a year ago after 50 organizations staged strikes and protests in 16 countries around the world, the coalition said.

“Today’s actions show the extent of resistance to Amazon exploitation at every link in its chain of abuse,” said Casper Gelderblom, group coordinator.

“Workers across the supply chain are demanding what is rightfully theirs as even Jeff Bezos admits their labor was paid for his recent trip to space,” he added.

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