Amazon workers in 20 countries protest or strike on Black Friday | Black Friday

Thousands of Amazon workers are expected to protest or strike in more than 20 countries during Black Friday to push for better labor rights and climate action from the US retailer.

Workers and representatives from unions and labor groups intend to participate in protests against the Seattle-based company’s practices between Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday (Nov. 29 and Dec. 2), one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.

During the annual discount period, Amazon and many other retailers offer deals to shoppers, and warehouse staff are busy fulfilling orders.

Action is planned in major cities in the US, Germany, UK, Turkey, Canada, India, Japan, Brazil and other countries. It is coordinated by the Make Amazon Pay campaign, which calls on Amazon—founded by Jeff Bezos, the world’s second-richest man—to pay its workers fairly and respect their right to join unions, pay its fair share of taxes and commit to environmental sustainability.

Led by the Swiss-based UNI Global Union for Service Industries and activist umbrella group Progressive International, Make Amazon Pay is made up of more than 80 unions, anti-poverty and garment workers’ rights groups and others.

Protests are planned outside Amazon’s UK headquarters on Bishopsgate in London on Black Friday, with UK tax law campaigners and other groups set to deliver a petition with more than 110,000 signatures for the company, followed by a march to 11 Downing Street. The petitioners are asking the chancellor to stop tax cuts for Amazon UK and other big companies.

Last year, Amazon’s UK head office paid corporation tax for the first time since 2020 following the end of a “super deduction” tax break introduced by former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

The UK-based GMB union plans to hold an online rally for Amazon workers on Black Friday. Last year, hundreds of strikers outside Amazon’s warehouse in Coventry were joined on Black Friday by trade unionists from Germany, Italy and California as part of a global campaign calling for better working conditions and union recognition.

Amanda Gearing, a senior organizer at GMB, said: “Here in the UK, Amazon represents everything that is broken about our economy. Precarious work, poverty wages and often unsafe working conditions: GMB will not let these shape the world of work for the next decade.”

In Germany, thousands of members of the Ver.di union will strike at warehouses in Dortmund, Leipzig, Koblenz, Graben, Werne, Bad Hersfeld and Rheinberg.

In France, the Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions and Citizens’ Action (ATTAC), which promotes tax justice, will hold protests in several cities. This is the fifth year of Make Amazon Pay protests.

“Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit is going to cost workers, the environment and democracy,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of the UNI Global Union.

“Bezos’ company has spent untold millions to stop workers from organizing, but the strikes and protests happening around the world show that workers’ desire for justice – for union representation – cannot be stopped. We stand united in demanding that Amazon treat its workers fairly, respect basic rights, and stop undermining the systems meant to protect us all.”

An Amazon spokesperson said: “These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we’re always listening and looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and engaging, safe work experience we provide our teams .”

Amazon says it is the largest buyer of renewable energy in the world and that last year all of its electricity matched with renewable energy sources. It says its starting salary in the UK is a minimum of £28,000 a year on a four-day week.

The campaign group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice says that the company has no preliminary targets to reach its net zero emissions target by 2040 and that its annual CO2 emissions have grown by 34.5% since 2019.

At Amazon’s warehouse in Coventry, workers narrowly voted against union recognition in July, but the TUC insisted the fight for union recognition would continue.