Ver.di calls for strikes at German Amazon distribution centers

The trade union Verdi has called on workers at several German Amazon distribution centers to go on strike in the week before Christmas. “In the coming days, the employees of the different distribution centers will sometimes take turns taking action without prior public notice,” strike leader Monica De Silvestre said in Berlin today. This would make it difficult for the company to prepare for business outages.

Verdi has for years called for recognition of retail and mail-order collective bargaining agreements and a collective bargaining agreement, which Amazon has so far refused. Although the US company raised employee salaries in the fall, these wage increases were well below the rate of inflation, the federation said.

“In general, employees at Amazon still earn several thousand euros less annually than their colleagues in companies bound by collective agreements,” de Silvestre criticized. The freight centers of Bad Hersfeld (two locations), Dortmund and Graben near Augsburg, Koblenz, Leipzig, Rheinberg and Fern were affected by the strikes.

Amazon stands for “Good Pay”.

Amazon said in a statement that the company offers its employees “good salaries, benefits and development opportunities – all in an attractive and safe work environment.” The converted starting wage is €13 gross per hour and up, including bonus payments. There will also be other additions such as subsidies for local public transport and pension schemes.