Amazon workers in 20 countries, including the United States, are staging strikes on Black Friday to protest what the organizing labor union describes as anti-worker and antidemocratic practices.
Trade unions and workers' groups are organizing protests to align with the peak shopping period spanning Black Friday to Cyber Monday, a time when Amazon and other retailers promote significant discounts and warehouse employees face intense pressure to meet surging order demands.
This marks the fifth consecutive year that UNI Global Union has led the "Make Amazon Pay" campaign, striving to hold Amazon accountable for alleged labor violations, environmental harm and threats to democratic practices.
"Amazon's relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment, and democracy," Christy Hoffman, the general secretary of UNI Global Union, one of the main organizers of the protests, told Newsweek.
"Bezos' company has spent untold millions to stop workers from organizing, but the strikes and protests happening around the world show that workers' desire for justice—for union representation—can't be stopped," Hoffman said.
She continued: "We stand united in demanding that Amazon treat its workers fairly, respect fundamental rights, and stop undermining the systems meant to protect us all.
"Make Amazon Pay Day is a powerful testament to our unity and momentum. No company—no matter how wealthy—can silence the cause of workers demanding justice."
Tim Hobden, Amazon's senior PR manager, UK operations, told Newsweek: "This group is being intentionally misleading and continues to promote a false narrative. The fact is Amazon's frontline employees in the UK receive a starting salary of between £28,000 and £30,000—that's an increase of at least 35 percent over the last two years.
"Our employees work a four-day week as standard with flexible working options and excellent career opportunities—all within a modern, safe and engaging work environment.
"These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it's their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career. Anyone can come and see for themselves and make their own mind up by booking a tour at one of our fulfillment centers, which are open to the public throughout the year."
Eileen Hards, Amazon's U.S. spokesperson, said in a statement: "The fact is at Amazon we provide great pay, great benefits, and great opportunities—all from day one. We've created more than 1.5 million jobs around the world, and counting, and we provide a modern, safe, and engaging workplace whether you work in an office or at one of our operations buildings."
"These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we're always listening and looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and engaging, safe work experience we provide our teams," she added.
Strikes under the "Make Amazon Pay" banner are set to span six continents.
Workers are set to walk out and stage protests across Germany, the United Kingdom, India and Brazil, demanding fair pay, union rights, improved working conditions and stronger climate action from the massive U.S. online retailer.
Thousands of workers in Germany are anticipated to stage strikes in several locations, including Graben, Dortmund, Werne, Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Koblenz and Rheinberg.
According to UNI Global Union, workers at Amazon Web Services in Belgium and Amazon's European headquarters in Luxembourg are demanding improved working conditions and greater job security.
On Friday, workers and activists in the U.K. are set to protest outside Amazon's London headquarters, demanding improved working conditions and urging the company to "pay its fair share of taxes."
In September, Amazon announced a wage increase for its U.K. frontline operations employees, setting a new minimum starting pay between £13.50 ($17.10) and £14.50 per hour, depending on location—an increase of 9.8 percent.
During the same month, the company also increased wages for U.S. warehouse and delivery workers, raising their average total pay to more than $29 per hour, including additional benefits such as health care.
English (US) ·