Spain: Amazon Workers Will go on Strike on Black Friday

Workers unions in Spain have officially called on Amazon workers to strike during "Black Friday" and the Christmas campaign, after mediation meetings with the company failed on Wednesday in Madrid.

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The Union Confederation of Workers Commissions (CCOO) and the General Workers Confederation (CGT), two important workers unions in Spain, confirmed the call for a strike on November 23rd and 24th during "Black Friday," on December 7th and 9th during the Constitucion long weekend, and during December 15th and 30th as well as January 3rd and 4th, before the Reyes festival.

Workers in the Amazon warehouse in San Fernando de Henares, near Madrid, have been demanding better working conditions and better salaries for months and have organized strikes before. But nothing has been achieved on their grievances yet.

The CCOO union, through Ana Berceruelo, told AFP that around 1,800 workers could join the strike, however, there is still not a clear number of how many workers will actually participate.

These new rounds of strikes are aimed at the biggest Amazon center and during the busiest days of the year. Both the union leaders and the Amazon direction are willing to start again on negotiations to find a "peaceful" solution to the problem.

During July protests, around 80 percent of Amazon workers on strike was met by police brutality. During the walk-outs workers also called on consumers to boycott Amazon in solidarity with their struggle. The July strike was organized for Amazon’s Prime Day, when the company offers discounts and there are high sales levels. Workers are specifically protesting wage cuts, working conditions and restrictions on time off.

Amazon.com Inc announced last Tuesday a major investment in Nashville, Tennessee along with confirming it is adding two new headquarters in New York and northern Virginia, a person briefed on the matter said. Nashville will be home to Amazon's new East Coast hub of operations, adding 5,000 new corporate jobs, the source said. Press events are planned to announce the investments in all three locations, the official said.