Union plans Christmas Amazon strikes
Germany's service-sector union Verdi has confirmed it will hold strike action against online retail giant Amazon over the busy Christmas holiday period, according to reports on Sunday.
"One hundred percent, we will go on strike during Advent," Focus magazine quoted Heiner Reimann as saying, Verdi's representative at the Amazon centres in Bad Hersfeld.
The strike will affect this facility in central Germany, as well as the Amazon centre in Leipzig, the magazine said.
The world's biggest online retailer responded with calm and said it was"well prepared" for such action, Focus reported.
Verdi has been trying for months to get Amazon to bring the pay of its 9,000 workers in Germany in line with wages in the distribution sector.
Amazon refuses, arguing that its distribution centres are logistic sites and that it pays its staff accordingly. Wages in the logistics sector in Germany are lower than those in distribution.
Employees staged a number of walkouts in May, June and September.
Amazon's German headquarters are in Munich but it also operates eight logistics centres and two customer service centres.
Some 3,300 people work at the two locations in Bad Hersfeld and 2,000 in Leipzig in the east of Germany.
Comments
See Also
"One hundred percent, we will go on strike during Advent," Focus magazine quoted Heiner Reimann as saying, Verdi's representative at the Amazon centres in Bad Hersfeld.
The strike will affect this facility in central Germany, as well as the Amazon centre in Leipzig, the magazine said.
The world's biggest online retailer responded with calm and said it was"well prepared" for such action, Focus reported.
Verdi has been trying for months to get Amazon to bring the pay of its 9,000 workers in Germany in line with wages in the distribution sector.
Amazon refuses, arguing that its distribution centres are logistic sites and that it pays its staff accordingly. Wages in the logistics sector in Germany are lower than those in distribution.
Employees staged a number of walkouts in May, June and September.
Amazon's German headquarters are in Munich but it also operates eight logistics centres and two customer service centres.
Some 3,300 people work at the two locations in Bad Hersfeld and 2,000 in Leipzig in the east of Germany.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.