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NEW DELHI: Amazon.com Inc employees in Europe protested against warehouse conditions, some using the slogan "We are not robots", another challenge for the largest online retailer of the world, entering its busiest time of the year.
German, Spanish and French workers have left the workstation of the Amazon Order Processing Centers on Black Friday, one of the busiest days of online shopping of the year. In Italy and the United Kingdom, workers have demonstrated in several plants, according to the Bloomberg law.
More than 600 German workers at the company's facilities in Bad Hersfeld left Friday morning local time. In Spain, workers at the San Fernando de Henares facility in the Amazon Amazon region staged a two-day strike on Friday and Saturday. According to UNI Global Union, the plant employs 1,800 workers and was on strike for the last time on Amazon Prime Day, another big shopping day for the company.
About 500 British workers have demonstrated in five Amazon warehouses, according to the GMB union. Joining the union of Amazon employees is small, said National Officer, Mick Rix. The images on social media showed small groups of people gathered with union banners.
"What we say is Jeff Bezos, you are the richest man in the world, you have the wealth and the ability to ensure that your workers are treated with respect and dignity," said Rix. "As the richest man in the world, you would rather spend your fortune on space travel than for the people who create your wealth."
Germany and the United Kingdom are among Amazon's main international markets and represent a turnover of more than $ 27 billion in 2017. Germans are expected to buy about 2.4 billion euros (2, $ 7 billion) on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, an increase of about $ 15 billion. percent compared to last year. Amazon does not disclose the total sales for Spain.
Earlier this week, the company announced it had mistakenly shared customer data with undisclosed parties, a misstep in privacy protection before the key holiday shopping period.
Amazon said Friday that demonstrations in Europe did not disrupt operations and challenged the level of participation in the demonstration claimed by some unions. The company has invested 27 billion euros and created more than 75,000 permanent jobs in Europe since 2010, he said in an email.
"These are good jobs with a very competitive salary, comprehensive benefits and innovative training programs," the company said. "We provide safe and positive working conditions, and encourage all visitors to come see for themselves by taking a guided tour in one of our distribution centers."
Amazon has become a symbol of corporate wealth and welfare inequality in the United States, as many of its warehouse employees receive government assistance for their basic needs, such as food and health care, even though it's one of the most profitable companies in the world headed by Jeff Bezos. , the richest man in the world. The company attempted to respond to criticisms made in October by announcing that all US warehouse workers would receive at least $ 15 an hour, although the company also removed some of the duties of the company. actions and bonuses to employees.
Amazon is more often faced with negative reactions from workers in Europe due to greater involvement of unions. None of the Amazon warehouse workers in the United States is represented by unions.
Despite this, a group of Somali workers in Shakopee, Amazon, Minnesota, are planning to protest the distribution center on December 14th due to problems with working conditions and religious accommodation. Amazon's Whole Foods workers have recently begun organizing talks in several stores, but there is still no vote, according to Bloomberg Law.
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