German Trade Union Calls for Amazon-Employee Black-Friday Strike Over Coronavirus

   By Cecilia Butini 
 

German trade union Verdi said Thursday that it is calling for Amazon.com Inc's employees at two logistics centers in the country to strike during Black Friday sales over riskier working conditions prompted by the coronavirus.

The union said the strike started Thursday during the night shift at the U.S. e-commerce company's logistics facilities FRA1 and FRA3 in Bad Hersfeld, central Germany. It will continue until Saturday, Nov. 28, it said.

Amazon has hired additional workers at the facilities to cope with increased order volume due to the coming holiday season and the coronavirus pandemic, according to Verdi. That is increasing the risk for employees to get infected, the union said in a statement.

"Many employees don't feel sufficiently protected and valued in their work," Verdi strike leader Mechthild Middeke said.

The union is calling for better rules around health and safety and for an employee bonus which takes into account increased company profits and a heightened workload.

A representative for Amazon in Germany said in an emailed statement that the company has put in place more than 150 different safety measures to keep employees safe across the world and added that German health authorities have agreed that the company provides strong safety protections to employees.

Amazon workers in Germany had previously gone on strike over working conditions and wages on Prime Day in October and over coronavirus infections at company sites in June.

Write to Cecilia Butini at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 26, 2020 04:57 ET (09:57 GMT)

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