German union calls on Amazon workers to strike on 'Black Friday' / Photo: Ina FASSBENDER - AFP/File
-
US to auction deep sea mining leases off American Samoa
-
Maddison sparkles on Spurs return as win drought ends
-
Australian lawmaker hurt in car attack underwent surgery overnight: PM
-
Trump says ready to meet with Putin and Xi in China
-
Japan launches rocket for potential world first Mars moon mission
-
The young lawmaker making Brazil's Lula 'king of the selfie'
-
Ethiopia PM warns Eritrea of 'severe consequences' if supports enemies
-
Christiane Amanpour to leave CNN after 43 years
-
Boland grabs opportunity for Australia as South Africa struggle in second Test
-
Ronaldo handed 30-day suspension after walking out on Portugal
-
Ronaldo handed 30-day suspension: Portuguese federation
-
Netanyahu basks in Trump endorsement week before election
-
France announces curfews as government grapples with unrest
-
Saudi airport closure disrupts life in kingdom's capital
-
Boland sets pace as South Africa struggle
-
Ramaphosa tells South Africa to prepare for loss of US-Africa trade deal
-
Ukraine on back foot as Kremlin moots US, China meeting
-
France presses resale platforms to remove 'stolen' goods after unrest
-
'Stay home!': Tourists find themselves in a France convulsed by protests
-
Yamal v PSG: Ballon d'Or backdrop to Champions League showdown
-
Kenyan cult leader guilty on all charges over 191 starvation deaths
-
Araujo says too soon to talk about permanent Liverpool move
-
Eagles star Hurts to miss rest of NFL season: reports
-
US wants to be 'strong partner' for central Asia: Rubio
-
Oil-rich Alberta votes on Canada breakup
-
'Special' to face friend Perez in Champions League, says Liverpool's Iraola
-
Israel announces arrests after West Bank settler attacks on Westerners
-
Monitor says Indonesia fires have burned nearly two million hectares
-
Guehi insists players have 'trust and belief' in Man City after charges
-
French PM says could declare state of emergency over unrest 'if needed'
-
UN climate panel head wants swift end to deadlock over key scientific report
-
Albanian PM warns of 'red line' after days of unrest
-
PM calls for curfews in France as govt grapples with unrest
-
Putin, Xi and Trump could meet at APEC summit: Kremlin
-
Man City's Semenyo out for up to eight weeks
-
Microsoft exits data centre deal in blow to UK AI ambitions
-
Australian lawmaker critically hurt in 'violent' vehicle attack
-
European stocks retreat as France violence spreads
-
England women's coach Wiegman signs two-year contract extension
-
North Korea warns 'grave situation' prevailing along border
-
Louvre blocked as France grapples with unrest
-
Raya proud of Arsenal's 'incredible' reaction after third straight win
-
Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff shot at in Mumbai, three suspects held: police
-
Indonesia fires have burned nearly two million hectares: monitor
-
UN biodiversity summit opens with nature goals off track
-
Australian lawmaker 'critically' hurt in attack, officials say
-
'Physical hell': Hong Kong hosts gruelling underwater hockey tournament
-
Indonesia fires burned over 1.9 mn hectares through September: monitor
-
Police 'lost control' during French protests, says interior minister
-
Asian tech stocks mixed after Wall St losses, eyes on earnings
German union calls on Amazon workers to strike on 'Black Friday'
Union Verdi called on workers at online retail giant Amazon in Germany to go on strike on the annual "Black Friday" shopping extravaganza, in their battle for better working conditions.
The industrial action began in the night to Friday, and affects five out of Amazon's 20 logistic sites in Germany including Leipzig, Rheinberg, and Dortmund.
Amazon in a statement shrugged off the impact on the strike during the busy shopping season.
"Clients can count on reliable and punctual deliveries as usual," it said, adding that workers already benefit from "fair wage and good additional benefits".
Starting wages are at 14 euros ($15.30) and up per hour, the company said, above Germany's minimum wage of 12 euros.
It added that more than half of its employees have been working for the group for more than five years.
But Verdi is pushing for the company to recognise the regional collective agreements of the retail and mail order sector.
"Only collective agreements offer workers binding protection from arbitrary company policies," said Silke Zimmer, who heads the union's retail sector.
"The workers at Amazon have renamed Black Friday as Make Amazon Pay Day," she added.
Held the day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday" is increasingly copied in Europe and beyond, with stores offering deep discounts to kick off the holiday gift-giving season.
I.Saadi--SF-PST
