News

Strikes at the world’s largest mail order company, Amazon, continue to expand in Germany. The latest Amazon employees to join strikes were workers from Amazon’s online streaming service Amazon Prime in Schleswig-Holstein.

Today, the 24th of June, over 1500 workers from all six Amazon locations come together in Bad Hersfeld to participate in a large rally.  The rally will feature speeches from ver.di board member Stefanie Nutzberger as well as Stefan Korzell, who is a member of the DGB Federal Executive Board.

German Amazon workers and their union ver.di will be joined by Amazon workers from Poland and representatives of the Polish commerce trade union Solidarnosc, members of the UNI Amazon Union Network. Amazon workers in Poland face their own issues with the company regarding union recognition, low pay and difficult working conditions.

Stefanie Nutzenberger said, “The employees of Amazon Prime have bravely gone on strike to demand their right to a collective agreement. Amazon can be sure that pressure from their own employees will not subside until certain basic terms, such as the right to good working conditions and hours, are met. The company must stop trampling on the rights of its employees.”

“Workers all over Germany are unceasing in their demands for a collective agreement. The worthy and admirable actions of German Amazon workers are supported by customers who are writing to Amazon expressing their view that they expect fair working conditions for workers at one of the world’s biggest and most recognisable brands.”

Head of UNI Commerce Alke Boessiger said, “For a company of Amazon’s size, it is unacceptable that they do not respect their workers in Germany. Amazon must respect their employees and engage in dialogue with ver.di.”

“For Amazon to be successful in Germany, they must listen to the reasonable demands of their workers. The company must engage in negotiations for a collective agreement with Ver.di in order to establish fair working conditions for their employees.”

The strikes at Amazon are embedded in the current round of regional collective bargaining in the retail sector which started on 1 April. Employees from other retailers who are not covered by the regional sector agreements will also join striking Amazon workers in order to force their company to enter into collective bargaining coverage.