[ad_1]
Economist Yanis Varoufakis called for a one-day boycott of Amazon on Black Friday as trade unionists, environmental activists, privacy activists and tax justice advocates plan coordinated actions against the company’s sites and supply chain.
Amazon’s success during the coronavirus pandemic – at one point the company reportedly made sales of $ 11,000 (£ 8,200) a second – significantly inflated its share price, increasing the personal wealth of its chief executive, Jeff Bezos, already the richest in the world. man, $ 70 billion. Bloomberg estimates his current wealth at $ 187 billion.
In an online video, Varoufakis asks viewers to ‘don’t even visit’ Amazon’s website on Black Friday – the most profitable day of the year for retail – which falls on November 27 this year. .
“By boycotting Amazon, you will add your strength to an international coalition of workers and activists,” he said. “Amazon is not a simple business. It is not just a monopoly mega-enterprise. It is much more and much worse than that. It is the pillar of a new techno-feudalism.
Under a banner of “make Amazon pay,” Friday’s actions are intended to be the start of a campaign against the retailer’s record on workers’ rights, environmental impact, tax evasion, working with the police and immigration authorities, and what activists see as invasions of privacy via its growing range of internet-connected devices.
The campaign is co-organized by Progressive International, a global initiative bringing together progressive left groups, politicians and intellectuals, including Varoufakis, Professor Noam Chomsky and Bernie Sanders, and UNI Global, a trade union federation representing 20 million workers, including the British union GMB. .
Casper Gelderblom, Campaign Manager for Progressive International, said: “Trillion dollar companies like Amazon have too much power and are too big for a single government, union or organization to hold back. That is why workers, citizens and activists are coming together across borders and issues to take back power. “
A set of claims submitted to Amazon by Progressive International and signed by Oxfam, 350.org, Greenpeace and the Tax Justice Network, said: “Amazon warehouse workers risked their lives as essential workers and didn’t only briefly received a salary increase. “
The first actions are expected to take place in Sydney, Australia, with protests at Amazon facilities by the SDA and TWU unions. Demonstrations are also planned for Bangladesh, Brazil, France, India, Italy, Luxembourg, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden and the United States.
In Germany, the Verdi union organized three-day strikes in Amazon warehouses, demanding better wages and working conditions. In the UK, where the protest is effectively banned under coronavirus regulations, GMB members will hold an online rally. Supporters are urged to endorse the demands and donate to Amazon workers’ strike funds.
An Amazon spokesperson said of the campaign, “This is a series of misleading claims by uninformed or interested groups who use Amazon’s profile to promote their individual causes. Amazon has a solid track record of supporting our employees, customers and communities, including providing safe working conditions, competitive wages and significant benefits, leading climate change with the commitment of Climate Pledge to be net zero carbon by 2040 and paying billions. of tax books in the world. “
[ad_2]
Source link