Amazon Workers in Spain Plan Walkouts on Cyber Monday

By
Vivian Medithi
Vivian Medithi
Full Bio
Vivian Medithi is a freelance writer and critic with bylines at Guardian US, LA Review of Books and No Bells, among others. He previously covered the stock market as an Analyst Editor at InvestorPlace.
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Published November 20, 2023
Amazon logistics center in Vicalvaro, Spain

Marcos del Mazo / LightRocket via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

  • In Spain, the Workers' Commission union has asked 20,000 Amazon delivery and warehouse worker members to participate in a one-hour strike on each shift for two days next week.
  • The strike, starting on Cyber Monday, a major shopping day, aims to call attention to workplace safety, human resources staffing, and wages for logistic workers.
  • Amazon is also facing the prospect of an international strike this week on Black Friday, which will involve workers in the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Germany.

One of Spain's largest worker unions has called for a "symbolic" strike next week by delivery and warehouse workers at Amazon (AMZN) to coincide with Cyber Monday.

The Workers' Commission reportedly is calling on 20,000 Amazon logistics workers to participate in a one-hour strike on each of three shifts on Nov. 27 and 28. The union seeks to bolster labor safety and human resources staff, as well as garner higher wages that they say are commensurate with the volume of work they are assigned.

"It is symbolic, but it is a first move and we will consider other kind of actions in the future," Douglas Harper, the Workers' Commission's secretary general for Amazon, told Reuters Monday.

Amazon disputed the need for a labor stoppage, saying in a statement sent to Reuters, "Our staff in all of Spain already work in a safe and modern environment with competitive wages and benefits."

Shopping days like "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" are important drivers of fourth-quarter revenue for e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Retailers typically offer significant deals to drive holiday shopping.

Amazon is also facing the prospect of a work stoppage on Black Friday as part of the international "Make Amazon Pay" campaign, led by a coalition of 80 unions responsible for labor actions in 130 countries. That strike would encompass workers in the U.S., England, Italy, and Germany.

“Workers know that it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what your job title is, we are all united in the fight for wages with dignity and a voice on the job," global union UNI's General Secretary Christy Hoffman told The Guardian. "That is why workers around the world are standing up to 'Make Amazon Pay.'"

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  1. Reuters. "Amazon's Logistics Workers in Spain Plan Cyber Monday Walk-outs."

  2. The Guardian. "Black Friday Strike Could Mark the Beginning of the End for Amazon’s War on Unions."

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