Thousands of Amazon workers around the world are planning industrial action today over pay and working conditions at warehouses in 20 countries.
Employees in the US, UK and the EU will walk out and stage protests on November 26 as the retail giant prepares for its busiest day of the calendar year – Black Friday.
The Make Amazon Pay group said: "Amazon takes too much and gives back too little."
It is backed by a coalition of labour groups, trade unions, grassroots campaigns and non-profit-making organisations in various countries.
The GMB and Trades Union Congress are backing protests in the UK, calling for better rights for staff.
However Amazon’s UK warehouses aren’t unionised, so staff can’t legally strike.
Are you an Amazon worker? Get in touch: emma.munbodh@mirror.co.uk
Many employees will be working on the day, but campaign groups which include Amazon workers will be staging protests at Amazon buildings in Coalville, Leicestershire, Coventry, Peterborough and at its London headquarters.
In other countries, staff will not be working.
In Germany, for example, the union Verdi called on employees at major shipping centres to strike, beginning on Wednesday night.
Nearly fifty organisations have signed up to a list of "common demands", published by the Make Amazon Pay coalition, which include rising warehouse workers' pay and adding hazard pay and peak time increments and putting an end to worker "surveillance" and productivity targets.
They are also calling for sick leave to be extended and a termination of the 'casual' employment status.
"This company is a pandemic profiteer can afford to do better," said Mick Rix, from the GMB Union. "It's time for Amazon sit down with their workers' union GMB and make Amazon a great, safe place to work.”
Owen Espley, from the War on Want campaign group, said: "Amazon's growing power is a threat to communities and workers around the world.
"Amazon is abusing its dominance across online retail, cloud services, and logistics, to create unfair competition that is driving down standards for everyone.
"Amazon workers face unsafe conditions, constant surveillance and are treated like robots.
"It's time for Amazon to pay fair wages, fair taxes, and for its impact on the planet."
Amazon revenue from £54billion in the first quarter of 2020 to £81billion for the three months to the end of March this year.
A statement told us: "“At Amazon, we take our responsibilities very seriously. That includes our commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040 - 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement - providing excellent pay and benefits in a safe and modern work environment, and supporting the tens of thousands of British small businesses who sell on our store.
"We know there is always more to do, and we’ll continue to invent and invest on behalf of our employees, customers, small businesses and communities in the UK. We’re proud to have invested £32bn in the UK since 2010, creating 10,000 new permanent jobs across the country this year alone, and generating a total UK tax contribution of £1.55bn in 2020.”
