该工会秘书长Christy Hoffman强调，从印度到美国，从英国到加拿大，工人们都在奋起反抗剥削和企业恐吓，“让亚马逊付钱（Make Amazon Pay）”行动是工人们团结的有力证明，任何公司都不能压制工人要求正义的事业。① Amazon employees in more than 20 countries are planning to go on strike during “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”, demanding that Amazon be responsible for violating labor rights, environmental degradation, and threatening democracy; ② This action will affect Amazon's delivery of goods during this shopping season. Amazon responded that it has always provided generous pay and benefits to workers, and that the organizers of the strike are spreading false statements.
Financial Services, November 29 (Editor Malan) Amazon employees are holding back a “big move.” On Thursday, strike organizers said Amazon employees in more than 20 countries, including the US, are planning to go on strike during “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” to make Amazon pay the price.
The strikers, united with global trade unions and Progressive International, said the strike was aimed at holding Amazon responsible for violating labor rights, deteriorating the environment, and threatening democracy.
Christy Hoffman, secretary general of the trade union, stressed that from India to the US, from the UK to Canada, workers are fighting against exploitation and corporate intimidation. The “Make Amazon Pay (Make Amazon Pay)” campaign is a strong proof of workers' unity, and no company can suppress the cause of workers demanding justice.
Organizers said that countries on strike include the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, India, and Turkey. The strike dates are from November 29th Black Friday to December 2nd Cyber Monday.
Labor disputes escalate
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping seasons of the year in European and American countries, and consumers usually spend a lot of money to buy holiday gifts. Last year, Amazon's total sales during this holiday period exceeded 170 billion dollars, accounting for 18% of total global Black Friday sales.
The strike at this shopping festival was unquestionably an extremely “ferocious” attack by the workers. Analysts are concerned that the strike may cause delays in delivery of goods during Amazon's Black Friday shopping season, thereby reducing overall sales volume.
Amazon responded to the strike on Thursday. Company spokesman Eileen Hards said the organizers had deliberately misled and spread false statements. In fact, Amazon has always provided great pay, benefits, and great career opportunities. Amazon has created more than 1.5 million jobs around the world and will continue to grow its team size.
Amazon announced an investment of $2.2 billion earlier this year to raise the pay of US distribution and transportation workers. According to the company, the average basic salary for these employees is now over $22 per hour, and if benefits are taken into account, the average total pay is over $29 per hour.
Amazon also claims that employees can enjoy comprehensive benefits from the first day of employment, including health, vision, and dental insurance; a commercial pension plan where the company pays a normal amount; paid leave of up to 20 weeks; and Amazon's Career Choice Program, which can prepay college tuition fees.
However, these conditions have not stopped Amazon from intensifying labor conflicts. In 2022, the first Amazon union was established in the Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, which directly became a landmark event of Amazon's labor conflict.
And the Black Friday strike is likely to increase friction between Amazon labor and management. As of now, it's unclear exactly how many Amazon employees will participate in this strike.
