News

This week, UNI’s Polish affiliates Solidarnosc took part in a picket at the Amazon warehouse in Wroclaw to protest the poor working conditions.

The union and workers alike have become increasingly frustrated by Amazon’s refusal to engage in any kind of dialogue regarding the following issues:

• Amazon respect Polish labour laws
• Stop treating workers like robots
• Start bargaining with the union for wage increases
• Improve the quality of on-site meals
• Improve working conditions
• Stop raising labour norms

Head of UNI Commerce Alke Boessiger said, “UNI Global Union fully support the Amazon workers in their struggle for the improvement of working conditions and wages in Poland. Amazon needs to engage with the Polish trade unions and must stop exporting their anti-worker, anti-union labour practices on a global scale. We fully support Solidarnosc in their actions against the company.”

Chairman of Amazon warehouse union in Wroclaw, Grzegorz Cison said, “We have repeatedly stressed and emphasised our wish for dialogue in order to develop joint solutions with the employer, but they refuse to recognise us as the legitimate voice of Amazon warehouse workers. This shows a lack of respect for their employees and must change in order for the situation to improve. We are not robots, and must be treated fairly by management.”

Alfred Bujara, Chairman of the National Secretariat of Bank, Commerce and Insurance Employees said, “The initial excitement at the potential job creation an Amazon warehouse would create in Bielany Wroclawskie has turned to frustration and disappointment after it became clear that Amazon merely treated Poland as a country to be exploited for profit. Solidarnosc fully supports Amazon workers in Poland in their fight for decent working conditions and respect.”

Workers at Amazon have been protesting against the company’s poor labour record across the world, particularly in Germany. In recent years, Amazon has sought to increase profits by shifting its operations east, where they can pay lower wages (13 Polish zlots an hour, against German workers 13 euros an hour) and take advantage of weaker labour laws in order to boost earnings.

The picket had two major goals – to demand that the company engages in dialogue with them in Poland and to show their solidarity for their striking colleagues from Ver.di. Thus far, there has been no reaction from Amazon, and the union plans to organise more industrial action before Amazon’s busy Christmas period.