New strikes at Amazon
October 27, 2014
Workers went on strike at five of Amazon.com's logistics centers in Germany on Monday, the Verdi union announced early in the morning.
It said industrial action was unfolding in Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Graben, Werne and Rheinberg, with some of the strikes to last until Wednesday evening.
No mention was made of how many of the altogether 9,000 Amazon workers in Germany were participating in the renewed work stoppages.
Riding out the storm?
Monday's labor action followed extensive strikes in September, with the focus of the union still on getting a better pay deal for employees.
Verdi said Amazon continued to deny workers a proper collective bargaining agreement, which it said was guaranteed by law in Germany.
For over a year, Amazon and Verdi have been locked in a bitter dispute over pay hikes. The union wants Amazon to categorize its employees as retail - rather than logistics - workers, which would qualify them for higher wages.
Verdi previously threatened to also organize strikes in the Christmas season to disrupt the company's speedy delivery system at a crucial time of the year, but management had claimed there would be no delays whatsoever.
hg/cjc (dpa, AFP)