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Amazon workers in Germany to go on strike over COVID-19 concerns

Amazon workers in Germany to go on strike over COVID-19 concerns

The e-commerce giant’s Amazon Inc.’s efforts to reduce COVID-19 at its logistics centers haven’t been enough to sway at least its few employees. The labor union Verdi has reportedly announced that employees at its six Germany-based sites will be on strike for few days over lack of safety precautions related to COVID-19.  

According to sources familiar with the knowledge of the matter, this move is in line with the union’s efforts to prioritize the safety of the workers. The strike will last two days with the motto of ‘good and healthy work. Previously, Amazon’s Germany-based warehouse workers were in a similar situation in recent years over worker pay and conditions.

The Union said in the statement that a minimum of 30 to 40 colleagues were infected at the company’s Germany-based cites. Monday’s strikes are planned for the e-commerce giant’s sites in Rheinberg, Werne, Leipzig, Koblenz, and Bad Hersfeld.

Germany is the second-biggest market for the e-commerce giant after the US. Meanwhile, Amazon declined to respond to a request for comment.

In recent times, the company’s warehouse workers in the United States have staged protests over unsafe working conditions and several of them left jobs in numerous cities.

Employees criticized Amazon for not notifying workers when several staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The company’s group of three workers in New York also filed complaints against the company prior this month, asserting that the company put them and their family members at the risk of COVID-19. For the record, minimum Amazon warehouse workers in America have died from COVID-19 since the coronavirus outbreak began.

On the other hand, Amazon claims on the Website that the company is expected to invest approximately USD 4 billion through June to safeguard employees and workers from COVID-19.

Source Credit - https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/28/21306256/amazon-warehouse-germany-strike-safety-coronavirus

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Nandita Bhardwaj

Nandita holds a management degree with specialization in marketing, and boasts of a short-term experience in the field of recruitment. Following her passion for writing however, she decided to pursue a career in the field of content development. Presently, Nandita pens down news pieces for newsorigins.com, spanning the verticals of business, finance, and technology.