Amazon workers plan global protests and strikes on Black Friday

Amazon employees around the world are preparing for protests and strikes on Black Friday.

The global effort has been organized by UNI Global Union, which represents service industry workers, and activist group Progressive International. 

Amazon workers in more than 20 countries plan to strike and take part in protests starting on Black Friday, one of the biggest annual shopping days for retailers. The protest efforts will go on into Cyber Monday, one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

Organizers say strikes will be taking place in major cities in countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Brazil. Specific protests include thousands of warehouse workers across Germany going on strike, garment workers in Bangladesh striking, and workers in New Delhi will rally to demand fair treatment after heatwave-related issues from this past summer. 

Protesters want to 'Make Amazon Pay'

The protest campaign is being organized under the banner of "Make Amazon Pay." The effort will put a spotlight on what organizers say is Amazon's "anti-worker and anti-democratic" practices.

Workers will focus on highlighting Amazon's "labor abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy" such as the company's role in corporate power.

“Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy,” said General Secretary of UNI Global Union Christy Hoffman. “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," Hoffman continued. "‘Make Amazon Pay Day’ is becoming a global act of resistance against Amazon’s abuse of power.”

According to organizers, Make Amazon Pay will include participants from more than 80 unions, environmental groups, and activist organizations such as Greenpeace, 350.org, and Amazon Workers International. 

During the protests, workers will demand that Amazon pay fair wages to employees and commit to environmental sustainability efforts. Workers will also call on the company to pay their fair share of taxes as well as respect employees' rights to unionize. 

An Amazon spokesperson released a statement regarding the coming Black Friday protest events saying, "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."

In 2022, Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island became the first and, so far, only company unit to vote to form a union. Amazon spent millions of dollars in union busting campaigns to fight the efforts from workers to unionize. A documentary on the Amazon Labor Union campaign was released this year. The filmmakers had to self-distribute the film as they had difficulty finding a distributor due to Amazon and its Prime Video streaming service's growing influence in Hollywood. 

Make Amazon Pay's upcoming protests will be the fifth year that Amazon workers have gone on strike on Black Friday.

“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.” said Progressive International’s Co-General Coordinator Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla. "Amazon is everywhere, but so are we."