Thousands of Amazon workers across the world are set to strike from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, one of the busiest retail shopping periods of the year.
Workers and activists in more than 30 countries will strike against the e-commerce giant for four consecutive days, according to an announcement by labor group UNI Global Union and Progressive International on Monday. This includes protests in the United States, India, Brazil, and Japan.
Employees plan to take action to demand workers’ rights and fight for climate action as part of the MakeAmazonPay campaign. The movement has held four global days of action on Black Friday since 2020.
The labor group accused the online shopping platform of putting profits over employees.
“Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy,” Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union said in a statement.
“[Owner Jeff Bezos’s] company has spent untold millions to stop workers from organizing, but the strikes and protests happening around the world show that workers’ desire for justice—for union representation—can’t be stopped. We stand united in demanding that Amazon treat its workers fairly, respect fundamental rights, and stop undermining the systems meant to protect us all. ‘Make Amazon Pay Day’ is becoming a global act of resistance against Amazon’s abuse of power.”
UNI Global Union also accused Amazon of underreporting its lobbying expenditures across Europe by millions and allegedly refusing to participate in public hearings led by the European Parliament regarding a ban on the company’s lobbyists.
In the United States, Amazon challenged the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), arguing the board over enforces labor laws. UNI Global Union says the legal actions “weaken protections” for workers.
The labor group said that striking workers are targeting the biggest shopping period of the year to raise awareness over Amazon’s “anti-worker and anti-democratic practices.”
NTD News reached out to Amazon but did not receive an immediate response.
In a statement to other media outlets, the e-commerce giant maintained that it remains open to listening to workers, but it also defended the way it treats its employees.
“These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we’re always listening and looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and engaging, safe work experience we provide our teams,” Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said.
According to the latest figures, Amazon’s net revenue increased by more than $40 billion year-on-year, from $513.98 billion in 2022 to $554.02 billion in 2023. The e-commerce giant is considered attractive to many online shoppers who enjoy fast shipping and variety from thousands of different Amazon retailers.
According to global data and business intelligence platform Statistica, Amazon was responsible for 37.6 percent of U.S. e-commerce spending in 2023. This figure is expected to rise by another 11.7 percent this year.
“Amazon is everywhere, but so are we. By uniting our movements across borders, we can not only force Amazon to change its ways but lay the foundations of a world that prioritizes human dignity, not Jeff Bezos’ bank balance,” Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, Co-General Coordinator of Progressive International, said in a statement.
A record 183.4 million people are planning to shop in stores and online between Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation. That’s up from the previous record of 182 million in 2023.