Black Friday has taken on a dual identity in recent years: on the one hand, a day of shopping deals across a wide range of goods, and on the other, an opportunity for Amazon workers to protest. The event is once again unfolding in 2024 across at least twenty countries worldwide, featuring strikes and demonstrations as part of the ongoing Make Amazon Pay campaign. These actions are coordinated by Global Union and Progressive International to highlight labour conditions and the social impact of the e-commerce giant.
The protests are not limited to Friday; in some cases, they start earlier and continue until the following Monday, known as Cyber Monday. In Germany, unions led by Ver.di have organised over sixty actions across various cities, with the main demonstration at the logistics hub in Bad Hersfeld. In France, warehouse workers and drivers have announced strikes, while the association Attac has arranged protests in several locations to demand fairer working conditions and the recognition of union rights. In the UK, the epicentre of the movement is the Coventry facility, while in the United States, the Teamsters are mobilising.
The primary demands of the workers include fairer wages, improved working conditions, recognition of union rights, and an end to intensive performance monitoring. In Germany, the UK, the United States, Brazil, and Japan, workers have united with a common goal: to draw attention to the conditions within Amazon warehouses, denouncing the growing use of precarious contracts, low pay, and the lack of workplace safety. Amanda Gearing of the British union GMB stated: “In the UK, Amazon embodies everything that is broken in our economy: precarious jobs, poverty wages, and often unsafe working conditions.”
This marks the fifth consecutive year of Make Amazon Pay protests during Black Friday, showing the movement's growth and how more workers and activists are choosing to stand up against Amazon's business practices. The company has responded by stating that it offers competitive wages, comprehensive benefits, and a safe and engaging work environment. A company spokesperson commented: “We are always open to dialogue and strive to improve, but we remain proud of the conditions we offer to our teams.”
Regarding the Make Amazon Pay campaign, Amazon issued a statement on 28 November 2024: “This group continues to spread misinformation, and we disagree with the positions expressed by the Make Amazon Pay campaign. Amazon actively participates in the economic life of the countries in which it operates, paying all required taxes and representing an opportunity for growth and development for the local area, businesses, and customers. Furthermore, we offer our employees excellent pay, benefits, and opportunities, all from day one. We have created over 1.5 million jobs worldwide, and we provide a modern, safe, and stimulating work environment, whether in the office or in one of our fulfilment centres. We are proud to be the world's largest corporate buyer of renewable energy. We have already invested, and will continue to invest, billions of dollars in reducing packaging and electrifying the fleet of our delivery service partners, all in pursuit of our long-term goal: achieving net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040.”
