Amazon workers in Germany strike ahead of major sale

Workers at seven Amazon facilities around Germany went on strike on Monday. Trade union Verdi said the strike, which comes ahead of Amazon’s “Prime Day” sale on Tuesday, is being carried out under the motto “no more rebates on our income.”

Workers began their stoppage late Sunday and carried on into Monday. Amazon facilities in Koblenz, Werne, Rheinberg, Leipzig, Graben, and two locations in Bad Hersfeld are affected.

Verdi did not give an exact time for the start of the strike.

Amazon operates 12 storage facilities and 11 logistics centers in Germany, employing some 13,000 people.

Fighting for better pay

Verdi has been pushing for better wages for workers at the company for more than 6 years. The union also wants a collective wage agreement, as is common in the retail and mail-order trades.

“While Amazon blasts its prices with hefty discounts for bargain hunters on Prime Day, the employees are being denied a living wage,” said Verdi trade expert Orhan Akman.

Amazon has repeatedly argued it is a “responsible employer,” despite not having a collective wage agreement.

dr/se (dpa, Reuters)

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