‘Make Amazon Pay’ global protests and strikes to target Amazon’s anti-worker and anti-democratic practices

From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, traditionally one of the largest shopping weekends of the year, Amazon workers and allies across six continents are set to strike, and protest under the banner of “Make Amazon Pay.” Spearheaded by UNI Global Union and Progressive International, the Make Amazon Pay days of resistance, from 29 November to 2 December, aim to hold Amazon accountable for labour abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy.

Unions and allied tax justice, anti-poverty and garment worker rights groups and others are planning demonstrations in more than 20 countries, including major cities across the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Brazil. This year, thousands of workers in Germany will also go on strike in Graben, Dortmund Werne, Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Koblenz and Rheinberg warehouse. In New Delhi hundreds of Amazon workers will rally to demand fair treatment considering Amazon mistreatment of workers during a massive heatwave last July summer.  In France Attac, The Association for the Taxation of financial Transactions and Citizen’s Action (ATTAC) will be holding protests in multiple cities across France. Garment workers will also take it to the streets in Bangladesh.

This is the fifth year of Make Amazon Pay actions, which start on Black Friday, or Make Amazon Pay Day, and continue throughout the weekend. The campaign has electrified the movement to hold Amazon accountable around the world. In previous years, thousands of workers went on strike at facilities throughout Germany, France, Spain, the UK and Italy;  garment workers’ took to the streets in Bangladesh; workers in the US organized walkouts; civil society allies held demonstrations projecting the Make Amazon Pay logo at Amazon offices all over the world, projecting “pandemic profiteer” onto Jeff Bezos’ mansion; and climate activists blockaded Amazon warehouses in three European countries.

“Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union.  “Bezos’s company has spent untold millions to stop workers from organizing, but the strikes and protests happening around the world show that workers’ desire for justice – for union representation – can’t be stopped. We stand united in demanding that Amazon treat its workers fairly, respect fundamental rights, and stop undermining the systems meant to protect us all. ‘Make Amazon Pay Day’ is becoming a global act of resistance against Amazon’s abuse of power.”

Recent events have brought Amazon’s influence on our democracies into sharp focus. Reports reveal Amazon has underreported its lobbying expenditures across Europe by millions, and its refusal to participate in public hearings led the European Parliament to banning the company’s lobbyists. In the U.S., Amazon’s legal actions challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) threaten to weaken protections for all American workers.

Amazon’s aggressive union busting is being challenged globally. In the United States, Amazon’s tactics against Alabama warehouse workers were so extreme that the federal government invalidated an initial union vote, forcing a second election and now a third one. As of today, the “captive audience” meetings Amazon and other corporations use to discourage unionization are illegal. In Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Amazon has been accused of intimidating workers to prevent unionization efforts. For example, Germany’s ver.di union has spent a decade urging Amazon to comply with collective bargaining standards, while in the UK, Amazon workers are facing an intense anti-union campaigns. In India, workers with the Amazon India Workers Association, supported by UNI Global Union, are calling for better working conditions in extreme heat.

A Global Day of Resistance

“Amazon is everywhere, but so are we. By uniting our movements across borders, we can not only force Amazon to change its ways but lay the foundations of a world that prioritizes human dignity, not Jeff Bezos’ bank balance.” said Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla Progressive International’s Co-General Coordinator

The campaign’s demands have also resonated with  regulators and have encouraged progressive legislative wins. In the US, several states, including California, Minnesota, Oregon, New York and Washington, have passed laws directly addressing Amazon’s high-pressure warehouse conditions. In the UK, an employee rights bill that simplifies the process to recognize unions is currently under parliamentary debate, while the European Union investigates Amazon’s safety practices across the continent.

Co-convened by UNI Global Union and the Progressive International, Make Amazon Pay brings together over 80 unions, civil society organizations, environmentalists and tax watchdogs including UNI Global Union, the Progressive International, Greenpeace, 350.org, Tax Justice Network and Amazon Workers International. The campaign is united behind a set of common demands that Amazon pays its workers fairly and respects their right to join unions, pays its fair share of taxes and commits to real environmental sustainability.

About Make Amazon Pay

Make Amazon Pay Day was launched on Black Friday in 2020 by UNI Global Union and Progressive International. Each year, the movement has expanded, bringing together a growing coalition of unions, activists, and allies demanding that Amazon prioritize people over profits. With the participation of over 30 unions, environmental organizations, and civil society groups, Make Amazon Pay Day challenges Amazon’s power with a unified call for systemic change.