On Black Friday Amazon is facing strikes and demos across the UK, Europe and the USA in what is being described as the “biggest day of action” in the company’s 30-year history.

British trade union GMB said that in the UK, over 1,000 workers at the e-commerce giant’s Coventry warehouse are striking over low pay, marking the 28th day of action in the dispute.

In London, a mass protest is planned outside Amazon’s UK headquarters.

The union said that given that the Coventry fulfilment centre is one of the busiest in Amazon’s UK operations, there are public concerns mounting about the strike’s impact on Amazon customers.

“Today will go down in history as a turning point in Amazon’s history,” said Amanda Gearing, GMB Organiser. “Working people that make Amazon’s business model possible stand up to demand their share of the company’s enormous wealth.”

She continued: “Despite that, Amazon bosses are desperate to claim it will be business as usual for Amazon and their customers this Black Friday. The truth is that today will see the largest day of industrial disruption in Amazon’s thirty-year history. With industrial action escalating and workers joining action in Europe and the USA, it's clear this strike is inspiring Amazon workers worldwide to fight to force the company to change its ways.”

Spain’s CCOO union earlier this week called on warehouse and delivery workers at the local unit of Amazon to stage a one-hour strike during each of three daily shifts on 27 November aka Cyber Monday.

The 20,000 workers are also set to strike the following day to demand better pay and working conditions.

Retail Systems has reached out to Amazon for comment.

---