Amazon Germany faces Christmas strikes from elf stackers, packers and dispatchers Amazon Germany is facing potential strike action at a bunch of its logistics hubs, but is reassuring punters that they will still get their packages in time for Christmas. Union Verdi has called for workers to down tools at four of Amazon's 13 German distribution centres. A spokesman for Amazon.de told us: "It's business as …
In previous years, that was the contention. The union said the workers were severley underpaid, because Amazon called itself a logistics company and not a retailer, whilst the union argued that Amazon was selling products, so it was a retailer.
The difference is the working hours, extra shift allowances and overtime in retail is much better paid than in logistics.
A couple of years back, they were accused of using cheap outside labour for seasonal work (Christmas, Easter etc.) - "they" were engaging workers from Spain or the former East Block and promising good wages, paid for the flight to Germany and transport to the facility, only for the prospective employee to be handed a much worse contract and told to like it or lump it, oh and you'll have to pay for your own journey back home.
Amazon countered that it was a third party company hiring the staff for them and they knew nothing about it - although they allegedly didn't stop, once the ZDF (2nd state TV channel) documentary team confronted them.
But I haven't heard anything in the last couple of years, so I'm assuming they've cleaned up at least part of their act.
re: "your friendly local JobCentre Plus forces you [to work for Amazon] under threat of sanction"
Ayup. All the more likely with proposals to reduce eligibility for food stamps and other assistance, since the "robust economy" and "low unemployment rate" apparently mean that jobs are out there for the taking and people therefore don't need assistance. What is not said, of course, is what these jobs are (real jobs with real benefits, predictable and worthwhile work hours, and a modicum of dignity? or disposable McJobs, of which one needs at least two to ensure enough hours to keep the lights on, with no hope for healthcare?) or why anyone outside of robots should be expected to perform them under the conditions (underpaid, hectic pace, penalties for restroom breaks, mandatory unpaid TSA-style searches at shift's end, ad nauseum) inflicted by Amazon and their ilk. It does not reflect well on us as a culture that such operations can exist on this scale. Sure, there will always be cases of bona fide need for immediate delivery (medical situations, mostly), but the rest of us? Really?
Especially in Germany. One of the problems with Germany is that sending packages is very cheap. This has been engineered by Deutsche Post as a way of keeping the competition out of the market. And, if you think it's ridiculously cheap, then you'd be right. Package deliverers have been found to be earning less than the minimum wage and resorting to things like living in their vans to make ends meet.
But for Amazon prices were still too high so it started it's own fleet of "self-employed" package pushers who usually do the rounds in the evening as a way "to earn a little extra money". Strange that none of them on the rounds here speak German when they try co-opting neighbours into the great package delivery system.
For Amazon, it really doesn't matter. In Italy the postal system is known to be slow, unreliable and packages contents are stolen not so rarely1. And it's not very cheap either. Most people here, and most online sellers as well, avoid the postal system like pest.
But Amazon is obsessed with "Prime" and free deliveries as a marketing tool - so it has to squash delivery costs as much as it can.
1Latest example a gang that could enter a large sorting centre unchecked and steal mailed credit cards. Then they posed like the bank and asked the user the part of the PIN they missed (asking them to type it on the phone and reading the sequence from the MF sounds). They was able to steal a million euro before being caught.
And when I see something about Elves going on strike I can only think of the old MSWin95 game Elf Bowling.
It's simply capitalism as it was designed to work. It's not evil, it's just capitalism.
The workers are merely resources, much like the forces you have in Civilization or some other game. Soon enough Jeff Bezos will able to start rolling out robots, Amazon Prime subscriptions will increase and prices for many products will fall. There will be no more talk about poorly paid or overworked workers.
But don't let any of this non-Amazon-approved info get in the way of the incredible convenience of using your Amazon prime account at a moment's notice and receiving your package before you've barely put your smartphone down.
Remember, it's all being done for you.
It isn't possible to stop using capitalism in a capitalist economy. That is where the term "no ethical consumption under capitalism" comes from - it is impossible to be ethical in an economic model that rewards the most ruthless of exploitative behaviours at every single turn, including rewarding the undermining of the systems that should control the worst excesses of those behaviours.
People talk about it in terms of competition. I have nothing against competition, but there's a difference between a football match and gladiatorial combat.
So you know that Amazon treat their employees terribly, but you keep buying from them because it’s quick and easy and everyone else does. With respect, that’s a pretty poor attitude to have. You *would* make a difference by not using them, and if enough people did the same they would take notice.
I have stopped buying from Amazon, I find their prices higher than alternative sources, can find much of what I want direct from Ali Express (since so many products are made in China) at a cheaper price and free shipping, the only downside being a longer wait. But even the shipping is getting faster now they are stocking warehouses in Europe and other places.
I must say though, I don't know what Ali pays like.
No, it's just one of the form capitalism can take, just like socialism can take the form of soviet communism (or Chinese capitalism or North Korean nightmare)
The problem is we have companies that can try to enforce a capitalism without rules, or better with the "strongest one" rule. Especially in US when politicians became so dependent on company moneys to be elected they are ready to give them whatever they ask - but in US neutering workers' rights has always been too easy.
It's no surprise this happens in Germany where capitalism has to work within far stricter rules, and socialism took the form of the SPD.
It's no surprise this happens in Germany where capitalism has to work within far stricter rules, and socialism took the form of the SPD.
And correspondingly it's why Germany exports big stuff like cars, where the cost overheads are proportionately less, but all the small stuff where every cent counts now comes from China.
Germany exports high-end technology and machinery - where the Chinese can't still compete.
There's no way you can compete with Chinese labor exploitation for other goods, unless, of course, you're Amazon and you're adopting the same labor exploitation techniques....
Yes, big evil companies and their miss-gotten profits. They shouldn't hoard money like that. Shame on them for getting a good return for their investors. We need to bust them up and take all their money.
Good thing I don't own any stock in those companies. All my retirement is in mutual funds which are invested in....oh....right. Nevermind. Forget everything I said.
Profitable big companies are good!
Boris had nothing to do with that hideous travesty at the Bullingdon.
He never even met the Demon Butler, let alone Dave's good friend. Nor was he Best Man at their Sporuslike simulacrum of a wedding.
He has never even heard of the Bullingdon; and will continue to deny it under oath unless photographic evidence emerges.
In which case he will steal the camera.
well, that's her though, all bark, no bite (she's been barking up the amazon tree for AT LEAST the last 5 years). Being cynical, I suppose she's doing it for self-promotion. No harm done, the world turns as it was, given that amazon, google and pals come with... many powerful friends, and a barking MP is just perceived as a space oddity.
"If that's intended as a joke it isn't very funny. "Arbeit macht frei" was a slogan used in Nazi concentration camps."
While I agree that the comment wasn't very appropriate, we should also remember that that, like the song "Deutschland Uber Alles", the phrase "Arbeit Macht Frei" dates from the 1800s, long before the Nazi regime in Germany.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Arbeit_macht_frei
"
If that's intended as a joke it isn't very funny. "Arbeit macht frei" was a slogan used in Nazi concentration camps.
"
Sorry. Far better that we never mention it and just forget it ever happened, eh?
Incidentally, whilst "Arbeit macht frei" was coined long before Hitler was born, the phrase "If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear" was first used by Hitler's SS.
Just another reason for Amazon to push forward with full automation of their warehouses.
Once the meatbags are all unemployed then they won't have to worry about working hard for a living.
As for the robot staff, free WD40 in the break room and a monthly welfare concert from Compressorhead is all they'll need.
said Amazon spokesman Ebenezer Bezos. Peering into the gloomy depths of the distribution centre, he noticed a sad figure shuffling down an aisle. "Cratchett!" he boomed. "That's your second toilet break this week - and we can't afford Christmas bonuses for those who feel that the pressure in their bladders is more important than packaging DVDs for rotund Uncle Silas at this special time of year can we?".
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