The Verdi union has once again called on workers at the Amazon distribution center in Bad Hersfeld to go on strike. The strike that began on Friday night is intended to put pressure on management for higher wages, as the union announced on Friday in Frankfurt. The strike should also include Saturday.
Verdi has been trying for years without success to enforce the collective bargaining agreement for the mail order and retail trades at the US group or to conclude an in-house tariff. Instead, Amazon applies its own remuneration system. According to Verdi, the management has now declared at works meetings that a “wage determination process” will take place by the end of August.
“At the works meetings, it was repeatedly mentioned that the rising costs are a heavy burden for many employees,” reports union secretary Mechthild Middeke, according to a statement. “A colleague put it in a nutshell: If Amazon makes membership 28 percent more expensive for Prime customers and justifies this with rising costs, then we also have these rising costs and want compensation for them.”
According to the company, all employees in logistics pay at least 12 euros an hour plus extras. Already last year, an increase to “at least EUR 12.50 gross” was announced for the autumn of this year, as a spokesman explained. After 12 and 24 months of service, the salary increases automatically. (dpa)