Amazon workers in more than 20 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are planning protests and walkouts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of this year’s marquee shopping promotions, organizers said.
The initiative’s organizers, Swiss-based trade union federation UNI Global Union and grassroots activist group Progressive International, said the planned “Make Amazon Pay” demonstrations would “promote labor abuses, environmental degradation, and decentralization of democracy.” The aim is to hold Amazon accountable for the threat of
“We stand together to demand that Amazon treat its workers fairly, respect fundamental rights, and stop undermining the systems that protect us all.” “This is becoming a global movement of resistance against Amazon’s abuses of power,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of the UNI Global Union.
Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hurd said in a statement: “These groups represent a range of interests and we are always listening and looking at ways to improve, but we are committed to providing competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, an attractive and safe workforce. We are proud of the experience we provide our team. ”
Two strike organizers said the union and its allies are planning demonstrations in the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, Turkey and other countries. Thousands of Amazon workers are planning to go on strike in at least six German towns. Hundreds of Amazon workers are expected to rally in New Delhi to demand fair treatment.
The planned World Day of Resistance comes as labor leaders around the world feel increasingly emboldened to take on big business in an era of income inequality. The International Labor Organization, an arm of the United Nations, found that post-pandemic inflation and rising costs of living have eroded the real value of the minimum wage in many countries.
In recent years, American labor activists have become increasingly angry at Amazon and the shopping giant’s billionaire founder Jeff Bezos. Results were mixed. In early 2022, Amazon’s facility in Staten Island, New York, became the first corporate warehouse to vote to unionize. However, at least two other similar union drives in Alabama and New York failed.
It was not immediately clear how many Amazon employees in the United States would participate in the announced demonstrations against the Seattle-based company, one of the world’s leading e-commerce and digital technology companies.
“Amazon is everywhere, and so are we,” said Varsha Gandikota Nerutra, co-coordinator of Progressive International. “By uniting our movement across borders, we can not only force Amazon to change its ways, but also lay the foundation for a world that prioritizes human dignity over Jeff Bezos’ bank balance.”
UNI Global Union and Progressive International said this is the fifth year of the “Make Amazon Pay” movement. Over the past few years, thousands of workers have gone on strike at company facilities in Germany, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy, the group said.
