Global protests mark fifth year of 'Make Amazon Pay' campaign

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GLOBAL INDUSTRY NEWS

Daniel Fernandez Head of Graphical and Packaging | UNI Global Union

By Sky Industry News

Nov 29, 2024

This Black Friday, Amazon workers from various countries including the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, and Nepal will join their German colleagues in Bad Hersfeld to protest against Amazon's labor practices. The demonstrations are part of a global initiative known as 'Make Amazon Pay', aimed at holding the company accountable for labor abuses, environmental harm, and threats to democracy.

Thousands of workers across Germany plan to strike at key warehouse locations such as Graben, Dortmund Werne, Leipzig, Koblenz, and Rheinberg. In Bad Hersfeld—a central hub for this year's actions—workers and speakers from multiple countries will gather to demand justice and respect for workers' rights. Prominent figures like Christy Hoffman of UNI Global Union and Silke Zimmer of ver.di will contribute to the event.

Christy Hoffman stated: "No matter how much they spend to fight us, corporations like Amazon cannot break the power of workers standing together. In Germany, ver.di has led the charge for over a decade... From India to the United States... Make Amazon Pay Day is a powerful testament to our unity and momentum."

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The protests in Germany are part of a broader movement organized by UNI Global Union and Progressive International. From November 29th to December 2nd, workers across six continents will mobilize in over 30 countries against Amazon's practices.

Germany’s strikes align with international demonstrations:

- In France, Attac plans actions in over 30 cities.

- In India, hundreds will rally in New Delhi against unsafe working conditions.

- Bangladeshi garment workers demand fair treatment from suppliers linked with Amazon.

This marks the fifth year of Make Amazon Pay actions that began on Black Friday—also called Make Amazon Pay Day—and extend through the weekend. The campaign unites diverse groups challenging Amazon's practices.

Despite resistance from companies like Amazon, unions like Germany’s ver.di continue advocating for collective bargaining standards globally. Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla from Progressive International emphasized: “Amazon is everywhere but so are we... By uniting across borders..."

Various global actions include:

- Strikes by nine warehouses in Germany.

- Atlanta drivers joining Teamsters demanding union recognition.

- Strikes by Italian workers during a general strike.

- Protests by Indian street vendors demanding better conditions.

- Demonstrations in Spain extending possibly until Cyber Monday.

- Protests at Tokyo’s HQ regarding driver exploitation.

- South African activists protesting Indigenous land desecration.

- UK protests addressing tax dodging and environmental issues.

The 'Make Amazon Pay' campaign was launched on Black Friday 2020 by UNI Global Union alongside Progressive International. It brings together more than 80 unions and organizations worldwide advocating fair pay for workers among other demands.