Amazon workers around the world went on strike during Black Friday and are expected to continue striking through Cyber Monday.
Workers are striking in over 20 countries, according to ABC News, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, India, and Turkey.
Called “Make Amazon Pay days of resistance,” the strike aims to “hold Amazon accountable for labour abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy,” a press release says.
Christy Hoffman, the General Secretary of UNI Global Union, said, “Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy.”
“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.”
Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards told ABC News that the union is “being intentionally misleading and continues to promote a false narrative.”
“The fact is at Amazon we provide great pay, great benefits, and great opportunities — all from day one. We’ve created more than 1.5 million jobs around the world, and counting, and we provide a modern, safe, and engaging workplace whether you work in an office or at one of our operations buildings,” Hards stated.
