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Amazon faces global employee protests during its busiest shopping period, with demonstrations planned from Black Friday through Cyber Monday across more than 20 countries.
The coordinated effort, organized by UNI Global Union and Progressive International, marks the fifth year of the “Make Amazon Pay” campaign. Workers in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and other nations are participating in work stoppages.
Amazon employees are going on strike across the world starting today‼️😳 Y’all better not order nothing from them until this is handled‼️ #Amazon #AmazonBlackFriday pic.twitter.com/Clfinkk8zS
— Aceito (@AceIsWorking) November 29, 2024
The campaign has expanded to India, where protesters are highlighting concerns about employee treatment during last summer’s severe heat wave. Organizers aim to spotlight issues including labor practices, environmental impact, and democratic concerns.
The timing is strategically calculated to impact Amazon during its most critical sales period. As the dominant online retailer, Amazon captured 18 percent of worldwide Black Friday sales in 2023.
However, the effectiveness of these protests remains uncertain. Despite similar actions last year, Amazon reported record-breaking profits during the protest period.
Amazon workers are on strike.
DO NOT BUY FROM AMAZON FROM FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
DO NOT CROSS THE PICKET LINE.
Buy directly from merchants. https://t.co/kNz8HF1ymV
— NoisyPaperDragon Heading to 🦋. (@PolygonPlushies) November 29, 2024
“The fact is at Amazon we provide great pay, great benefits, and great opportunities — all from day one,” Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hards said in a statement, according to ABC. “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 company dismisses the union’s claims as misleading and disputes their characterization of working conditions.