On one of the most hectic shopping days of the year, workers employed by the American e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN.O) initiated strikes at various locations across Europe on Friday, expressing their dissent over the company’s labor conditions.
Protests and strikes are scheduled in more than 30 countries, starting from Black Friday—the day following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday—until Monday, as part of the “Make Amazon Pay” campaign organized by the UNI Global Union.
Black Friday, initially associated with long queues outside major U.S. department stores, has become a global phenomenon, increasingly transitioning to online platforms, notably fueled by Amazon. The company is actively promoting holiday sales from November 17 to November 27 this year.
Trade union Verdi approximated that approximately 2,000 workers participated in strikes at six Amazon fulfillment centers in Germany, the company’s second-largest market by sales last year.
Verdi specified that around 250 workers, constituting approximately 20% of the workforce, engaged in a strike at a Leipzig warehouse, while 500 workers, nearly 40% of the workforce, participated in a strike at a Rheinberg warehouse.
A representative from Amazon Germany contended that only a small faction of employees were on strike, emphasizing that workers receive equitable pay, with a starting hourly wage exceeding 14 euros ($15.27). The spokesperson assured that deliveries for Black Friday orders would remain reliable and punctual.
In an extended wage dispute, more than 200 employees at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse in England also initiated a strike on Friday.
One of the striking workers, Nick Henderson, asserted that his participation was driven by the pursuit of improved pay and working conditions. The Coventry warehouse serves as a logistics hub for Amazon, handling product processing for distribution to other warehouses.
During the strike, employees chanted for a pay rate of 15 pounds ($18.69) per hour.
A representative from Amazon UK clarified that the minimum starting pay varies by location and currently ranges between 11.80 and 13 pounds per hour. Starting in April 2024, it is set to increase to 12.30 to 13 pounds per hour. The company asserted that the strike would not cause any disruptions.
In Italy, more than 60% of employees at the Amazon warehouse in Castel San Giovanni, according to trade union CGIL, participated in the strike. However, Amazon reported that over 86% of its employees reported to work, and business operations remained unaffected.
The Spanish union CCOO has called for an hour-long walkout on “Cyber Monday” for Amazon delivery and warehouse employees.
According to the anti-globalization group Attac, which organized a demonstration, Amazon’s parcel lockers in France—frequently used by customers to receive orders—were adorned with barricade tape and posters. Despite this, Amazon stated that all its lockers in France are still operational.
Amazon’s popularity in Europe remains high, with Data.ai reporting that in October, rivals Temu and Shein had 51 million and 64 million active users in Europe, respectively, while the Amazon app boasted 146 million active users in the same month.
