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Persistent dispute
According to a Verdi labour union spokesperson, some 500 (out of 1,200) employees at the Leipzig distribution centre went on strike on Monday. The persistent dispute about wages, which also led to several strikes last year, was once again the cause.
Verdi wants Amazon Germany employees to have the same wages as employees in other mail order and retail industry companies, but Amazon has refused to accept that proposition several times now. It has stated it employs people in logistics and the wages are above average for this particular industry.
Germany is Amazon’s second largest market, trailing the United States, with 9 distribution centres and some 9,000 employees.
UPDATE: Amazon reacts to strike
“Today, the trade union ver.di organized a strike at our fulfillment center in Leipzig, one of our nine German centers. Less than 340 of our FC associates chose to not come to work today. The majority of employees regularly worked and remained focused on delivering the best customer experience. Amazon did not see any impact on customer shipments”, the company told RetailDetail.
“Amazons fulfillment centers are logistics companies that fulfil customer orders. Our employees earn toward the upper end of the pay scale compared to other logistics companies“, Amazon concluded, showing exactly what the dispute is about: trade unions see Amazon as a retailer, not a logistics company… and in the former sector, the wages are far higher.
