Amazon Workers in Germany to Go On Strike over Coronavirus Infections

Workers at six Amazon sites in Germany will be on strike on Monday to protest the safety of some logistics center staff tested positive for coronavirus, said the Verdi Labor Union.

Verdi said on Sunday that the strike will last at least 48 hours, under the name 'Good and Healthy work,' to protest what the US retail giant considered a lack of accountability after employees tested positive for Covid-19, reports media.

“We have information that at least 30 to 40 colleagues were infected,” said Verdi representative Orhan Akman.

Amazon has faced a long-standing struggle with trade unions in Germany over better pay and conditions for logistic workers who have made frequent strikes since 2013.

Verdi said the strikes will target Amazon sites in Leipzig, Bad Hersfeld, Rheinberg, Werne and Koblenz. It said Amazon was putting profits ahead of the safety of its workers.

Amazon rejected the charges in a statement and said that, as of June, it had invested $4 billion in measures to protect its global workforce and clients from the risk of Covid-19 infections.

In Germany, its largest market after the United States, since February Amazon has ordered 470 million bottles of hand disinfection, 21 million pairs of gloves, 19 million masks and other face protection equipment and 39 million boxes of disinfectant wipes, said Amazon spokesperson in Germany.