Hundreds of Amazon drivers have gone on strike in Vigonza, Italy, in protest over what many consider “unsustainable and frenetic pace of work, deficient protections against COVID-19, and poor wages.”
“The reasons [behind the strike ] are attributable to the unsustainable working conditions in which these employees work–they earn poor salaries and are subjected to intolerable pace. They are forced to respect roadmaps that constantly put their own and others’ safety at risk,” said Massimo Cognolatto and Romeo Barutta leaders of the CGIL in the Padua and Veneto regions.
Since April 2013, Amazon has faced worker unrest in multiple countries, particularly in Europe where workers in Spain, Germany, France, and Italy have walked out over a dozen times. The protests have intensified during the pandemic as Amazon failed to listen to workers’ demands to make their workplace safer.
“Once again, workers are forced to strike to make their voices heard—a situation that could easily be avoided if Amazon took employees ´ concerns seriously,” said Christy Hoffman General Secretary of UNI Global Union.” We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Italian brothers and sisters going on strike against Amazon to demand fair pay and realistic goals during this brutal pandemic.”
Other global actors are also raising questions about Amazon anti-union behaviour. Just this Monday, UNI Global Union Amazon Alliance called on the tech and commerce giant to stop its dishonest anti-union campaign and allow workers to vote for a union in the United States without the aggressive and constant pressure from the company to vote no.
