Global 'Make Amazon Pay' protests challenge labor practices

Vèronica Fernandez Mendez Head of Equal Opportunities | UNI Global Union

By Sky Industry News

Nov 25, 2024

From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Amazon workers and their allies across six continents are planning strikes and protests under the "Make Amazon Pay" campaign. The initiative, led by UNI Global Union and Progressive International, aims to hold Amazon accountable for labor abuses, environmental degradation, and threats to democracy from November 29 to December 2.

Protests are scheduled in over 20 countries, including major cities in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Brazil. In Germany, thousands of workers will strike at several warehouses. In New Delhi, hundreds of Amazon workers will rally against mistreatment during last July's heatwave. French group ATTAC plans protests in multiple cities across France while garment workers in Bangladesh will also demonstrate.

This marks the fifth year of Make Amazon Pay actions which begin on Black Friday or Make Amazon Pay Day. The campaign has previously mobilized thousands globally with strikes and demonstrations projecting messages onto Jeff Bezos' mansion and blockading warehouses.

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“Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy,” said Christy Hoffman of UNI Global Union. “Bezos’s company has spent untold millions to stop workers from organizing... ‘Make Amazon Pay Day’ is becoming a global act of resistance against Amazon’s abuse of power.”

Reports indicate that Amazon has underreported lobbying expenditures in Europe by millions leading to a ban on its lobbyists by the European Parliament. In the U.S., legal challenges against the National Labor Relations Board could weaken worker protections.

Amazon faces global challenges over union busting tactics. A third union vote was forced at an Alabama warehouse after extreme anti-union efforts invalidated previous votes. Similar accusations have been made in Canada, Germany, and the UK.

Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla from Progressive International stated: “Amazon is everywhere but so are we... By uniting our movements across borders... lay foundations for a world prioritizing human dignity."

The campaign's demands have influenced regulators resulting in legislative wins such as laws addressing warehouse conditions in several U.S. states and ongoing investigations into safety practices by the European Union.

Co-convened by UNI Global Union and Progressive International with support from organizations like Greenpeace and Tax Justice Network among others; Make Amazon Pay seeks fair treatment for workers including union rights alongside tax fairness and environmental commitments.