Amazon Workers in Germany and Italy to Strike on Black Friday

Black Friday

Italians used to welcome the U.S. tradition of Black Friday, but it appears 2017 is going to be different.

The Trade Union announced on Thursday that workers at Amazon’s (NASDAQ:$AMZN) main distribution center in Italy are planning to strike, for the first time, on Black Friday. In addition, workers also plan on striking at six different warehouses in Germany, thus threatening to wreak havoc on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

More than 500 Amazon workers at the Piacenza site in northern Italy have reportedly agreed to strike after the failed attempt of negotiating bonuses with the retail giant. As a point of reference, Amazon employs roughly 1,600 people at the Piacenza site.

Italian workers have also come to the consensus to not work overtime until December 31, which covers the peak season for Amazon.

In Germany, the Verdi trade union will strike on Black Friday at 6 distribution hubs. “The world’s biggest online retailer wants to achieve record sales on this day, but employees have to produce record performance not only on this day so that everything runs how Amazon wants it,” Verdi board member Stefanie Nutzenberger said.

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About the author: Caroline Harris is a third-year student at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada. Having already completed an Associates Degree in Psychology, Caroline is now finishing her Bachelor's degree in Communications. In preparation for working in the advertisement sector, Caroline is writing financial content and analysis. On a daily basis, Caroline works on articles regarding the following topics: finance, cryptocurrency, technology, and politics.