Amazon’s German Workers Go On Strike Again

Pay and benefits are the hot topic today at Amazon.com’s German workers go on strike. Trade union Verdi is already calling on all workers at the Amazon logistics center in Leipzig to stop working from 04:30 (GTM). This is after 600 of the workers at their facilities in Bad Hersfeld, and 300 more in Leipzig went on strike over may 14th.

With over 9000 people employed by Amazon in Germany this could have big knock on effects for the company, both inside and outside of Germany. Verdi is said to be furious that they’re refusing to implement an agreement on employment conditions, given that better deals are already in place at other mail order and retail firms.

Verdi wants Amazon to pay it’s workers a higher basic pay, with bigger supplements for working night shifts. They are seeking a starting pay of $14 per hour in Leipzig compared with the $9.30 currently paid there. Yet Amazon has responded that its workers earn more than what most logistics companies currently pay in Germany.

Amazon has also said that it was willing to continue talk with Verdi but that it didn’t see a common basis for negotiations for not, in other words, this could drag on for some time as Amazon may not back down any time soon.

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