Trade union Verdi has called for Amazon employees to go on strike in Germany as a dispute regarding pay and conditions escalates. Verdi have called for staff at 5 of Amazon’s German distribution centres to withdraw their labour.
The workplaces affected are those in Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Graben, Werne and Rheinberg. In total, Amazon has 9 distribution centres in Germany. Workers at Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig and Graben will go on strike from Monday to Wednesday, while workers at Werne will strike Monday and Tuesday.
In total, Amazon employees 9000 staff in the 9 distribution centres in Germany alongside 14000 seasonal staff at this time of year. Germany is Amazon’s second biggest market after the US.
The disagreement centres on the union’s request to raise pay for workers at its distribution centres in accordance with collective bargaining agreements across the mail order and retail industry in Germany. Amazon reject the claim saying that warehouse staff work in logistics and shouldn’t be included in the agreement. Amazon also say they pay above the average by the standards of the industry.
We’ll see whether this stoppage has a significant impact on Amazon. Let us know if you hear anything.
2 Responses
A good time to sell using FBA from the UK then…
Maybe a good time for UK staff at Amazon to join a union and start negotiating better pay and benefits perhaps…..