Amazon shares could suffer from Black Friday staff strikes
Amazon distribution centre staff in Italy and Germany are refusing to work on Black Friday. The move could affect Amazon shares, when they re-open for business Monday, in the US.
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Amazon shares closed 1.46% higher at $1,156.16, Wednesday.
Strikes are in operation at six German units and one in Italy. The move was strategically designed to coincide with ‘Black Friday’ in a bid to win better pay and improved conditions for Amazon distribution centre staff.
Unions said that over 500 workers at Amazon’s Piacenza site in northern Italy would not turn up for work, Friday. Around 1,600 staff in total, work at the centre.
German employees, meanwhile are striking as part of a long-running disagreement over pay and working conditions.
Workers demand more from Amazon
German workers union, Verdi, announced the planned strike, Thursday.
"Amazon permanently endangers the health of its employees with its way of working,” Verdi said in a press release.
“High pressure to create more and more in less time, permanent performance controls and monitoring, a poor leadership culture and inadequate recovery times are health hazards in the Amazon labour process,” it added.
Verdi has requested negotiations with Amazon at all six of its business locations.
Italian trade unions, meanwhile, said the strike followed unsuccessful bonus payment negotiations.
Amazon remains upbeat on ‘Black Friday’
Despite the disruption to some of its European hubs, Amazon remains positive on it’s 2017 Black Friday sales.
The retail giant said it would work hard to guarantee deliveries that are already scheduled for Black Friday and in the following days.
Regarding its global sales plans for ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’, meanwhile, Amazon remains upbeat. As well as the many deals across it’s local websites, it has also opened a ‘pop-up’ store in London.
Looking ahead to ‘Cyber Monday’, Amazon is likely hoping to top it’s 2016 performance, where over 64 million items were ordered world-wide.
