Around 70 employees took part in a rally, said a spokesman for the Verdi union. The mood is good. For the employees it is a first step “to become stronger”. The aim of the warning strike is better pay. The whole shift is called, followed later by the late shift. According to the union, around 1,700 employees work in Winsen, a good third of them on temporary contracts. According to a spokesman, Amazon sees no effects of the warning strike on operations.
“We are on strike because Amazon has made a wage adjustment that is far too low,” a Verdi representative was quoted as saying. “Amazon is now paying three percent more without negotiating with the union. That’s not enough for us.” Against the background of high inflation, that is not enough.
The Amazon spokesman emphasized that all employees at Amazon logistics locations in Germany will receive a wage increase from September. In Winsen, this increases the gross starting wage to EUR 12.59 per hour. There is also a variable bonus – a total of 13.17 euros. After two years of service, this means a gross salary of around 35,000 euros per year. There are also extras and benefits such as subsidies for local public transport, company pension schemes and subsidies for further training of up to 8,000 euros. “We are currently in contact with the responsible works council in Winsen to implement this proposal,” he said.
California files antitrust lawsuit against Amazon
The most populous US state, California, has sued the world’s largest online mail order company, Amazon, for alleged antitrust violations. The company is driving up prices through anti-competitive behavior in violation of California law, Attorney General Rob Bonta said in San Francisco on Wednesday. Amazon did not initially comment on the allegations.
Prosecutor Bonta accuses Amazon, among other things, of forcing third-party providers into gag contracts that prohibit them from selling their goods cheaper on other trading platforms. Because of the group’s great market power, smaller sellers could not defend themselves and end customers would ultimately pay “artificially inflated” prices. “The reality is, many of the products we buy online would be cheaper under free market forces,” Bonta said.
For hundreds of thousands of third-party providers, Amazon’s online marketplace represents virtually their entire business, the prosecutor continued. Due to the high level of dependency, the company can dictate the conditions to them. Critics have long accused Amazon of abusing its market power. The allegations also include that the group favors its own brands on the platform, uses trading data to spy on third parties and copies their product ideas.
Amazon shares ultimately gained 1.36 percent to $128.55 in NASDAQ trading.
WINSEN / SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX)
Leverage must be between 2 and 20
No data
More news about Amazon
Image sources: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com, Benny Marty / Shutterstock.com