Union Demands Wage Raises And Collective Bargaining Rules
Verdi, a Berlin-based union, has called on Amazon employees in Germany to go on strike for the second time in a week to thwart order processing during one of the biggest sales of the year.
Amazon sabotages Black Friday. The second strike in a week
About 500 workers went on strike for three days from Thursday to Saturday last week. The next strike will start tonight and will last until Tuesday evening. After the US, Germany is the second-largest market in the world for Amazon. Verdi has been on strike in the country since 2013 and wants Amazon to recognize the collective bargaining rules that apply to other companies’ retail workers.
An Amazon spokesman noted that the company offers “excellent” wages and benefits, combined with safe working conditions, and wages are comparable to those of its competitors in the region. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon sees a surge in sales as consumers shop more online to limit the virus’s spread. Verdi believes this is an argument for higher wages, saying Amazon needs to do more to protect workers from COVID-19.
On Thanksgiving, Amazon announced that its U.S. workers would be eligible for holiday bonuses if they work between December 1 and December 31. Full-time employees will receive a one-time bonus of $ 300, and part-time employees will receive $ 150.
