German workers at Amazon.com's local operations were reportedly set to go on strike on Monday in a dispute over pay that has been raging for months. Reuters, citing a statement by German trade union Verdi, said workers will be launching public strikes in Amazon's logistic centers in the towns of Bad Hersfeld and Leipzig. Verdi added that workers would also held strikes in Graben for the first time.
A delegation of German workers will also protest at Amazon's headquarters in Seattle with the aid of American trade unions. The report, quoting Verdi, said workers in Amazon's center in the German town of Werne will protest on Tuesday.
Verdi has organized short strikes this year to try to force Amazon to accept collective bargaining agreements (CBA) in the mail order and retail industry. The said CBA will serve as benchmarks for workers' pay at Amazon's German distribution centers, Reuters said. However, Amazon has maintained that it regards staff at its centers in Bad Hersfled and Leipzig as logistics workers. The American e-commerce giant said that their workers receive above-average pay by the standards of that industry. Amazon employs around 9,000 people in Germany, the report said.
Verdi earlier this year had warned it was ready to call for a workers strike during the busy days before Christmas, when it would hurt the online retail company the most. Verdi has 2.1 million members in Germany, its website said.
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