European Amazon workers plan strike for Prime Day

In Spain, unions have asked 1000 Amazon workers to go on strike during Amazon Prime Day, reports the Independent.

Amazon Prime Day, which begins at noon AEST on 16 July and lasts for 36 hours, exclusively offers Prime customers discounted product deals on the online retailer’s website.

Workers are planning a walk-out at Amazon’s biggest warehouse, on the outskirts of Madrid, during this period in ‘a dispute over workers’ rights’.

According to the Observer, Spanish employees launched a general strike on 10 July in the lead-up to Prime Day, and have encouraged workers in other parts of Europe—including Italy, France, Germany, Poland and England—to take part.

‘We in Madrid believe that only if we struggle together will we gain recognition for our demands. Similarly, only with a joint action at a European level will workers organize in those places where there is no union representation yet,’ one Amazon worker writes. ‘The idea is that if no concessions to the workers are made, that day will not take place.’

In a statement, Amazon said that its total pay is ‘at the high end of the range in the logistics sector’, and ‘includes an attractive salary and an extensive benefits package’. An Amazon spokesperson also told the Observer: ‘We don’t recognize these allegations as an accurate portrayal of activities in our buildings’.

Category: International news