Amazon workers plan strike between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in major cities around the world
Amazon workers in more than 20 countries, including the U.S., plan to strike during the busy pre-Christmas shopping days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday to “make Amazon pay,” strike organizers said Thursday.
The “days of resistance” aim to “hold Amazon accountable for [labor] abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy,” according to organizers UNI Global Union and Progressive International.
“No matter how much they spend to fight us, corporations like Amazon cannot break the power of workers standing together,” UNI Global Union’s General Secretary Christy Hoffman said in a statement shared with FOX Business.
“In Germany, ver.di has led the charge for over a decade, demanding collective bargaining rights — a fight that resonates across the globe. From India to the United States, the U.K. to Canada, workers are rising against exploitation and corporate intimidation. ‘Make Amazon Pay Day’ is a powerful testament to our unity and momentum. No company — no matter how wealthy — can silence the cause of workers demanding justice.”
Countries with striking workers include the U.S. — where employees will strike in “major cities” — the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, India and Turkey, the organizers said.
The striking workers will be supported by various unions, anti-poverty and garment worker rights groups and others, according to UNI Global Union.
Amazon, in a statement to FOX Business, accused the organizers of being “intentionally misleading” and promoting a “false narrative.”
“The fact is, at Amazon we provide great pay, great benefits, and great opportunities — all from day one,” Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said.
“We’ve created more than 1.5 million jobs around the world, and counting, and we provide a modern, safe, and engaging workplace whether you work in an office or at one of our operations buildings.”
The organizers said this will be their fifth year of striking action against Amazon during the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
Specifically, in New Delhi, India, UNI Global Union said that hundreds of Amazon workers will “rally to demand fair treatment considering Amazon’s mistreatment of workers during a massive heatwave last July summer.”
“[Jeff] Bezos’s 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 — can’t be stopped,” Hoffman claimed.
“We stand united in demanding that Amazon treat its workers fairly, respect fundamental rights, and stop undermining the systems meant to protect us all. ‘Make Amazon Pay Day’ is becoming a global act of resistance against Amazon’s abuse of power.”
It’s not clear how many workers in the U.S. or abroad plan to go on strike.