BERLIN, Germany — Approximately 3,000 Amazon warehouse employees across Germany staged coordinated walkouts on Black Friday, one of the year’s busiest online shopping days, in a renewed effort to pressure the company into agreeing to a collective wage agreement.
The strike, organized by the trade union Verdi, targeted major fulfillment centers in cities including Bad Hersfeld, Dortmund, Frankenthal, Graben, and Koblenz.
The union is demanding that Amazon align its wages and working conditions with standard pay levels established in the German retail sector.
Silke Zimmer, a member of Verdi’s national executive board, commented on the intense working environment, stating that workers are under constant strain.
“For our colleagues, every day feels like Black Friday due to work intensification and arbitrary pay practices,” she said.
Amazon, however, downplayed the impact of the action, asserting that the strike would not significantly affect customer orders.
The company highlighted its substantial workforce in Germany, noting that it employs roughly 40,000 permanent logistics workers and has brought on an additional 12,000 temporary staff to manage the increased volume during the Christmas period. (Xinhua)