On Black Friday, protests are taking place at Amazon locations in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe.
The day of the shopping sales is one of Amazon’s busiest of the year.
“Make Amazon Pay,” a multinational coalition of labor, equality, and environmental organizations, is holding a day of action to demand concessions.
The Extinction Rebellion environmental group has blocked the doors of Amazon distribution centers in the UK in a separate protest.
The gang claims to have attacked 13 British buildings, including Dunfermline’s largest.
It is staging similar action abroad in Germany and Netherlands.
‘Make Amazon Pay’
The Make Amazon Pay alliance is not linked with the Extinction Rebellion movement, but it does include environmental organizations such as Greenpeace.
“Amazon takes too much and contributes too little,” it alleges, with support from trade unions, grassroots initiatives, and non-profit organizations in many nations.
In the UK, that includes:
- GMB Union
- Trades Union Congress
- Momentum
- War on Want
- International Transport Workers’ Federation
- Labour Behind the Label
No UK Amazon warehouses are unionised, so legally they can’t strike.
Many employees will be working on the day, but campaign groups which include Amazon workers are staging protests at Amazon buildings in Coalville, Leicestershire, Coventry, Peterborough and at its London headquarters.
But strikes are being encouraged elsewhere.
In Germany, for example, the union Verdi called on employees at major shipping centres to strike, beginning on Wednesday night. And in France, major union CGT is also calling for workers to down tools.
Worldwide, nearly 50 organisations have signed up to a list of “common demands”, published by the Make Amazon Pay coalition, which include:
- raising warehouse workers’ pay and adding hazard pay and peak time increments
- halting worker “surveillance” and strict productivity targets
- extending sick leave and improving Covid-19 tracking and reporting
- ending casual employment status and “union-busting” activities
- paying taxes without using loopholes or tax havens
“Amazon’s expanding dominance is a threat to communities and employees around the world,” said Owen Espley of the War on Want advocacy organization.
“Amazon is abusing its dominance in online retail, cloud services, and logistics to drive down standards for everyone.”
“Amazon employees work in hazardous conditions, are constantly monitored, and are treated like robots.
“It’s past time for Amazon to pay fair wages, pay fair taxes, and account for its environmental impact.”
‘Pandemic profiteer’
“This company is a pandemic profiteer that can afford to do better,” said Mick Rix, from the GMB Union. “It’s time for Amazon sit down with their workers’ union GMB and make Amazon a great, safe place to work. “
Amazon reported a tripling of profits earlier this year, attributed to its success during the Covid-19 pandemic.https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.44.5/iframe.htmlMedia caption,Five things to know about Amazon boss Jeff Bezos
The company has also been accused of taking an anti-union stance across its operations, particularly in the US.
A landmark push to unionise a workplace in Bessemer, Alabama, failed earlier this year but was examined by the US regulator over allegations the company had put pressure on employees during the vote.
- Amazon offers £3,000 bonuses to attract staff
- Amazon injuries ‘80% higher’ than competitors
- Amazon offers punctual staff £50 for turning up
Amazon issued a prepared statement in advance of the protests about the wider Make Amazon Pay movement.
“These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we are not perfect in any area, if you objectively look at what Amazon is doing in each one of these areas you’ll see that we do take our role and our impact very seriously,” it said.
“We are inventing and investing significantly in all these areas, playing a significant role in addressing climate change with the Climate Pledge commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040, continuing to offer competitive wages and great benefits, and inventing new ways to keep our employees safe and healthy in our operations network, to name just a few.”
