Amazon employees in Germany on strike for better pay

At several Amazon locations in Germany, workers yesterday laid off work. The actions are part of a long-running struggle of trade union Verdi with the American tech giant over better wages and working conditions.

Long struggle

Germany is by far the largest market for Amazon after the United States. Since 2013, Verdi, a leading trade union in the service sector, has regularly called for strikes at Amazon sites in the country to denounce low wages and poor working conditions.

With the new action, Verdi is demanding a wage increase in line with agreements the union has reached with the wider retail and mail-order industry in Germany. Seven Amazon locations are said to be affected by the strike. It is not known how many workers are affected, writes Reuters.

“It is unacceptable that a multinational company that makes huge profits still refuses to give its workers the wage increases that other companies in the sector pay,” said Orhan Akman, Verdi’s representative, in a statement.

Amazon responded by saying that it offers excellent wages and working conditions. Customers would not be affected by the actions.