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Article

24 Nov 2023

Author:
Reuters

Amazon hit by strikes, protests across Europe during Black Friday

LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O) workers walked out on strike at multiple locations across Europe on Friday in protests against the U.S. e-commerce giant's working practices on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. [...]

In Germany, Amazon's second-biggest market by sales last year, trade union Verdi estimated that around 2,000 workers went on strike across six Amazon fulfillment centre in Germany.

It said 500 workers had gone on strike at a warehouse in Rheinberg, accounting for nearly 40% of the workforce, and around 250 workers had done so at a warehouse in Leipzig, accounting for about 20% there.

An Amazon spokesperson in Germany said only a small number of workers were on strike, and that workers are paid fair wages, with a starting salary of more than 14 euros ($15.27) an hour. The spokesperson said deliveries of Black Friday orders would be reliable and timely.

In England, more than 200 workers were striking on Friday at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry as part of a long-running dispute over pay. [...]

An Amazon UK spokesperson said minimum starting pay is between 11.80 pounds and 13 pounds an hour depending on location, and would increase to 12.30 to 13 pounds an hour from April 2024. Amazon said the strike would not cause disruption.

In Italy, trade union CGIL said more than 60% of workers at the Amazon warehouse in Castel San Giovanni were on strike, while Amazon said more than 86% of its workers there had come to work and there has been no impact to operations.

Spanish union CCOO called for Amazon warehouse and delivery workers to stage a one-hour strike on each shift on "Cyber Monday" next week.

In France, Amazon's parcel lockers - located in train stations, supermarket car parks, and street corners, and used by many customers to receive orders - were plastered with posters and barricade tape, according to anti-globalisation organisation Attac, which planned the protest.

Attac, which calls Black Friday a "celebration of overproduction and overconsumption", said 40 lockers were targeted across the country. Amazon said all its lockers in France remained accessible. [...]

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