Because of strikes: Will Amazon parcels arrive on time before Christmas?

Every year … the service union calls

Ver.di on the strike at Amazon

on. So too

before Christmas 2021

. “In order to seriously disrupt the Christmas business of the world’s largest online retailer Amazon, the United Service Union (ver.di) has called on employees at seven of the Group’s dispatch centers in Germany to take part in work stoppages. With the start of the night shift on Monday (December 20th), employees in Graben near Augsburg, Leipzig, Bad Hersfeld (two locations), Werne, Rheinberg and Koblenz want to go on strike. In Koblenz, employees of the online giant had already stopped working from Thursday (December 16) to Saturday (December 18). ”Ver.di has now announced this.

Amazon customers are unlikely to feel anything from the strike

It is doubtful whether Ver.di actually succeeds in “seriously disrupting the Christmas business of the world’s largest online retailer Amazon” with this strike measure. So far, Ver.di’s numerous strike calls have all fizzled out. Because Ver.di’s dispute with Amazon has been going on for many years. Practically every time there is a lot of work at Amazon, Ver.di calls for a strike: on Prime Day, on Black Friday and just before Christmas. But so far it has not been known that Amazon customers have ever felt anything of it.

What is the strike about?

In essence, this dispute is about Ver.di demanding that Amazon base its employees on the collective wage agreements of the retail and mail order business. Ver.di gives the following examples of the advantages that would result for Amazon employees: “The group pays its permanent shipping employees (‘pickers’) a Christmas bonus of only 400 euros, while the employees in others Trading companies often go home with a good thousand more. The Christmas bonus according to the Hessian collective agreement for retail and mail order, for example, is 62.5 percent of the November wage, i.e. 1537 euros. It doesn’t look much better for the ‘leads’ (foremen). You will receive 600 euros for Christmas. Your colleagues employed in comparable positions in companies subject to collective bargaining agreements will receive 1845 euros. ”

However, Amazon refuses to adopt the collective agreements for the retail and mail order business and is based on the poorer specifications of the collective agreement for the logistics industry. The new Amazon Germany boss Rocco Bräuniger is also keeping this line. Then there are other aspects, for example Ver.di criticizes the fact that Amazon employees are exposed to “extreme pressure”.

Amazon already pays excellent wages

Amazon rejects the criticism every time and told us in June 2021, for example: “The parcels arrive on time to the customers, we see no effects of the strikes. The majority of our employees work today as they do on any other day: They process customer orders in an environment that supports them, in which one enjoys working and making progress. The fact is that Amazon already offers excellent wages, excellent benefits and excellent career opportunities – all in a safe, modern work environment. Everyone has these advantages and opportunities at Amazon, as well as the possibility of direct exchange with executives.

The wage package including the additional benefits and our working conditions also compare with other important employers in the region. Our goal will always be to create something outstanding for customers in an excellent work environment through teamwork and direct exchange with employees. ”End of quote

Prime Day: Ver.di strikes Amazon shipping centers