News

Employees of the five Amazon fulfilment centres in Germany ( Bad Hersfeld (Hesse), Leipzig (Saxony), Graben (Bavaria), Rheinberg and Werne (both NRW) began a multi-day strike with the night shift on Sunday night, 14 December 2014.  The walkouts will last until Wednesday, December 17, 2014.

"Amazon categorically refuses to recognise the right of employees to a collective agreement and says unions are unnecessary. The company wants to arbitrarily dictate working conditions, that is the only reason for Amazon's blockade. The employees are fighting back and customers and citizens should support them, "says Stefanie Nutzenberger, ver.di board member with responsibility for retail. This is a major issue: "Should we let a global company allow to violate the rights of workers or will we work together to ensure that Amazon has to follow the rules?" Said Nutzenberger. The pressure of employees for existence-securing income and good working conditions will not subside. Amazon have it in their power to end the strikes in the Christmas season, if the company agrees to conclude a collective agreement.

Since May 2013, Amazon employees fight with strikes and diverse protest actions against their working conditions. They demand, among other things, a collective agreement on salaries and healthy working conditions in order to reduce the high sickness rate of sometimes up to 25 percent of the workforce, and an end to the escalating use of short fixed-term contracts. Amazon operates eight mail order sites in Germany.

What customers can do now

Verdi also invites customers to take a stand in the conflict with Amazon: On www.change.org/amazon-sei-fair they can sign a petition which calls on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to provide fair working conditions. When returning goods to Amazon, customers can also use a return label supporting collective bargaining coverage for Amazon employees. The label can be downloaded under http://amazon-verdi.de/4486.

"The strikes are not directed at the customers, but against the bad working conditions at Amazon," said Nutzenberger. The company itself will  pay for his hardline attitude to consumers. Delivery delays can not be excluded because of strikes, and customers should not order too late, advises Nutzenberger.