Global Amazon protests demand fair conditions, tax justice, and corporate accountability.
Photo Credit: Bryan Angelo via Unsplash
AHEAD of the holiday season, protesters are readying for a mass global Black Friday protest, which is set to take place from Friday, November 28 to Monday, December 2, against tech giant Amazon. More than 30 countries are set to participate in the global protests, which accuses Amazon of various things, including fomenting harm to the environment, fuelling inequality, and having unfair conditions for its workers, among other things.
Protesters set to ‘Make Amazon Pay’
The strike, dubbed “Make Amazon Pay,” is now in its sixth year and is held annually on Black Friday as Amazon prepares for one of the biggest shopping days of the year, with buyers scrambling to find deals. The movement aims to bring awareness to Amazon’s practices and political influences in various countries and bring about fairer conditions for workers.
Indeed, Amazon’s influence is deepening now more than ever on a global scale, with the company, founded by current Executive Chair Jeff Bezos, now worth more than €30 trillion. The company has extended far beyond retail and reshapes economic globalisation, with its tendrils reaching into e-commerce, cloud computing, logistics, and impacting various industries, global labour, and innovation.
Countries participating in the protests include Spain, Denmark, Greece, the United Kingdom, Poland, Luxembourg, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Nepal, Palestine, Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa.
Amazon, long facing allegations of unfair labour conditions
The company has also long been accused of hostile working conditions across the world, with workers under immense pressure to meet deadlines and warehouses freezing in the winter in colder countries and smouldering in the summer in warmer countries. Most notably, in India, workers allege struggling to meet deadlines in pressure cooker warehouses that can reach up to 55ºC.
To add insult to injury, Amazon reported paying around €1.2 billion less in tax than during the same period last year in its latest filing.
In Spain, Amazon closed out last year with an estimated 28,000 workers across 400 different roles in the company.
The Black Friday protests in Spain – What to know
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and in central Spanish hubs that are also tourism hotspots, the day is set to be bustling and busy. It’s important that expats keep these things in mind if they plan on making rounds at the stores this Black Friday:
- Pay attention to whether the protests are escalating in your town or city. While the majority of protests being planned are peaceful or symbolic, it’s important to stay vigilant in case the situation gets out of hand.
- Be prepared for large crowds and heavy foot traffic.
- Some stores may be shorter-staffed. If you live in a bigger city, it may be a good idea to call ahead and make sure the store is operating normally before going.
- Black Friday also brings about various scams. It’s important that during busy sales periods and chaotic shopping days, buyers remain vigilant, especially if shopping online.
- Allow extra time for shopping. With the hustle and bustle, and the protests possibly bringing things to a crawl, it’s better not to shop on a tight schedule.
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