Activists of Greenpeace connect banners studying ‘crime’ and ‘Black Friday. Nature destruction as a business model’ on the Amazon headquarters in Munich, Germany.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Gig Workers Association (GigWA) in affiliation with Amazon Warehouse employees and Hawkers Joint Action Committee held protests right here on Friday, demanding the worldwide large to pay a minimum of ₹25,000 per thirty days to each worker and scale back working hours from 10 hours to eight hours.
The marketing campaign, titled “Make Amazon Pay”, was a part of the worldwide motion name given by the Make Amazon Pay coalition involving UNI Global Union, Progressive International, 80 commerce unions, civil society organisations corresponding to Oxfam and Greenpeace towards Amazon “squeezing every last drop it can” from “workers, communities and the planet”.
The organisers claimed that actions passed off in States throughout the nation, together with, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. The employees are additionally protesting the agency forcing staff to work below surveillance, setting unachievable targets, 30-minute lunch breaks, messing up with punching time, use of disrespectful language towards ladies employees and extra.
Their different calls for embrace the supply of satisfactory restrooms for women and men employees, seating preparations, sufficient relaxation time for workers who work whereas standing, a standard crèche, equal pay for all, mounted time period contract as per Indian labour legislation, and an finish to arbitrary dismissals.
Dharmendra Kumar, Co-convenor of Joint Action Committee towards Foreign Retail and E-commerce, mentioned Amazon is reducing working requirements throughout the board in India. “It is based on a business model, which is ecologically disastrous and economically unviable, squeezing all including workers across the supply chain, small and independent traders, street vendors, communities, and the planet,” he mentioned.
Protests the world over
Workers at Amazon websites the world over, together with within the United States, Germany, and France, have been urged to strike on Black Friday, focusing on the net retailer on one of many busiest procuring days of the yr with requires higher pay.
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The Make Amazon Pay initiative, which made the decision for strikes, mentioned industrial motion was deliberate in additional than 30 international locations.
Germany’s Verdi union mentioned work stoppages have been deliberate at 10 fulfilment centres in that nation.
It demanded the corporate recognise collective bargaining agreements for the retail and mail order commerce sector and referred to as for an extra collective settlement on good working situations.
“As an employer, Amazon offers great pay, benefits and development opportunities – all in an attractive and safe working environment,” a spokesperson for Amazon in Germany mentioned in an announcement.
Among different issues, the spokesperson pointed to a wage improve for Amazon logistics staff in Germany from September, with the beginning wage now at 13 euros ($13.52) per hour or extra, together with bonus funds.
On Friday morning, the corporate mentioned the overwhelming majority of its staff in Germany have been working as regular, with strike motion restricted to 9 of its 20 German fulfilment centres.
A spokesperson for Amazon France mentioned there had been no signal of disruption to operations up to now.
“This is the first time that Amazon has had an international strike day,” mentioned Monika Di Silvestre, Verdi’s consultant for Amazon employees.
“This is very important, because a major global corporation like Amazon cannot be confronted locally, regionally or nationally alone,” she added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Source: www.thehindu.com
