Amazon workers around the world went on ?? ??? ?? ??strike over Black Friday, demanding improved pay, conditions, and calling for the company to do better when it comes to societal concerns and climate change. Organisers have called it the "biggest ever global strike to Make Amazon Pay."
Now in its fourth year, the Make Amazon Pay movement involved protests and strikes in over 30 countries in 2023. Over 80 unions, organisations, and environmentalists participated, with action including strikes in the US, UK, Italy, Spain, and Germany; climate protests in Canada, the UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, Ireland, and the Netherlands; and demands from Bangladeshi garment workers for a minimum wage of $209 per month.
SEE ALSO: 'There's no moment of silence': What happened after 2 Amazon employees reportedly died within hours of each otherIn an open letter of demand, Make Amazon Pay accused the online retail giant of failing to give back to the people and communities that helped it grow, as well as harming the environment in its drive for profit.
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"Amazon is not alone in these bad practices but it sits at the heart of a failed system that drives the inequality, climate breakdown and democratic decay that scar our age," said Make Amazon Pay. "The pandemic has exposed how Amazon places profits ahead of workers, society, and our planet. Amazon takes too much and gives back too little."
Why are Amazon workers striking?
Make Amazon Pay's letter listed five primary demands, three of which concerned its treatment of its workers.
First, the movement has demanded Amazon improve its workplace. This includes offering adequate break time and paid sick leave, suspending its infamous productivity standards and surveillance, and raising warehouse workers' pay "in line with the increasing wealth of the corporation."
Second, Make Amazon Pay has requested Amazon provide job security to all its workers, including ending casual employment and contractor status. As part of this, they have also asked Amazon to reinstate all workers who have been fired for organising their colleagues or speaking up about safety issues.
This leads into Make Amazon Pay's third demand: that the company respect workers' rights. Specifically, the movement wants Amazon to end union busting, respect workers' rights to organise, and negotiate with workers' unions.
The health, safety, and treatment of Amazon workers has been a topic of concern for years. The company's warehouse workers suffer injuries at a rate almost 80 percent higher than their counterparts at non-Amazon warehouses, with injuries reportedly spiking during big shopping events such as Prime Day.
In 2021, a report found that Amazon attempted to rebrand its warehouse employees as "industrial athletes," suggesting they prepare for their shift by eating "more fish and nuts." Later that year, two warehouse workers at Amazon's Bessemer, Alabama facility died within hours of each other, one in the workplace and the other after leaving in an ambulance.
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Workers' rights aren't the only issues driving Make Amazon Pay's protests either. The movement is also demanding that Amazon operate sustainably. As such, it has asked Amazon to commit to zero emissions by 2030, halt all sponsoring of climate change denial, and end contracts with fossil fuel companies.
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"At its current rate, Amazon won’t reach its stated 2040 net zero target until 2378," said Irish senator Lynn Boylan. "Across the world, Amazon Web Services is deeply involved in different phases of oil production, focusing on pipelines, shipping, and storage for oil and gas companies. It’s time to Make Amazon Pay for its environmental damage."
Finally, Make Amazon Pay has demanded that Amazon "pay back to society" by stopping development on mass surveillance technology, ceasing anti-competitive business practices, guaranteeing transparency over the use of consumers' data, and paying taxes in full.
Amazon is currently valued at over $1.5 trillion, with founder Jeff Bezos' $169 billion fortune placing him third on Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires List.
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Make Amazon Pay's full list of demands can be found on its website.