People working in offices in Liverpool this December will be well aware of the difficulties faced when working in the run up to Christmas.
It is busy, it is dark and cold and people are distracted by Christmas on the horizon whether it is a positive or negative experience for them.
This issue is only going to feel worse if you are experiencing poor working conditions, whether the environment is poor or your treatment by your employer is problematic.
Black Friday Strikes
This year workers across Europe and the United States have been protesting at the conditions in Amazon warehouses.
UK
Trade Union GMB organised strikes on Black Friday as well as Cyber Monday in the UK in order to draw attention to the problems many Amazon employees face at work. Similar strikes were held elsewhere.
GMB’s national officer, Mick Rix said: “Workers are breaking bones, being knocked unconscious and being taken away in ambulances. Amazon has spent a fortune on fluffy adverts saying what a great place it is to work. Why not spend the money making their warehouses less dangerous places to work?”
Over 600 ambulances have been called to one Amazon warehouse in the UK, over the past three years according to a Guardian report.
Amazon disputes there are problems with safety.
Germany
Over 2,000 strikers took part in strikes in Germany which had been called over low wages. While Amazon workers in the US and UK have recently seen slight increases to the minimum wages earned in warehouses, similar gains have not been seen in Germany.
US
In the US strikers assembled outside one of the retail giant’s fulfilment centres in Staten Island to protest unsafe working conditions there.
Strikers were also concerned about the group’s use of surveillance of staff and the impact this was having on working culture and mental health.
One organisation, Fight for the Future, is calling for artists to remove their music from being streamed on Amazon music, to show solidarity with workers and force shoppers to use other streaming services.
Alongside Amazon, Macy’s faced a strike that had been organised by over 650 workers earlier in the month. This was part of a spate of strikes highlighting the problems associated with shop workers being unable to get adequate rest days throughout the year, but also the stress associated with not knowing or being able to control their work schedule during the holiday season when they may want to see family.
Spain
Protestors in Spain stages a number of demonstrations. The first was at an Amazon fulfilment centre on the outskirts of Madrid. This strike at the warehouse resulted in reports of police being called in order to ensure productivity at the warehouse, something Amazon strongly denies.
Protests were held again in central Madrid at an Amazon pop-up on Black Friday, as workers protested against working conditions for Amazon workers. A total of 1,600 staff were understood to have walked out in Spain as part of the Black Friday protests.