Amazon workers across more than 20 countries are set to protest or strike during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, demanding better working conditions, union rights, and stronger commitments to climate action. The global demonstrations are coordinated by the Make Amazon Pay campaign, backed by unions and activist groups such as UNI Global Union and Progressive International.
Planned actions include strikes at Amazon warehouses in Germany and rallies at Amazon’s UK headquarters in London, where activists will deliver a petition with over 110,000 signatures urging the UK government to end tax breaks for Amazon and similar corporations. Amanda Gearing of the GMB union described Amazon’s practices as embodying “everything that is broken about our economy,” citing low wages, unsafe working conditions, and insecure jobs.
The protests highlight growing dissatisfaction with Amazon’s labor practices and environmental policies. Although Amazon claims to be the world’s largest renewable energy purchaser and offers competitive pay, critics argue the company lacks interim targets for its 2040 net-zero emissions goal and has seen carbon emissions grow by over 34% since 2019.
This is the fifth year of the Make Amazon Pay protests, which continue to escalate as workers and activists call for systemic changes. Despite narrow votes against union recognition at sites like Amazon’s Coventry warehouse in the UK, unions insist that the fight for fair treatment and sustainability will persist.
