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Workers protest and strike as Amazon doubles Prime Day length and halves delivery times

Unions say Amazon has a "callous indifference to worker safety" as it increases its Prime Day offering to customers.

Tuesday 16 July 2019 08:44, UK

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 26: People opposed to Amazon's plan to locate a headquarters in New York City hold a protest inside of an Amazon book store on 34th. St. on November 26, 2018 in New York City. Amazon recently announced that New York City will become one of two locations that will house Amazon's second North American headquarters, known as HQ2. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
Image: Workers across the globe are protesting during the sales period
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Amazon warehouse workers around the world are protesting and striking today to demand fairer working conditions as the company begins its Prime Day sales promotion.

Prime Day was launched in 2015 as a promotional day for Amazon's subscribers - offering them discounts and sales deals, alongside the company's accelerated delivery service.

The event is set to run over two days this year, on 15 and 16 July, during which the company is also offering same-day shipping.

SWANSEA, WALES - NOVEMBER 23: A representative from GMB, the union for Amazon workers, stages a protest over what it claims are 'inhuman conditions' at the Amazon Swansea fulfillment centre at Ffordd Amazon on November 23, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. Protests are being held at five Amazon sites across the UK on Black Friday. Amazon recently increased wages for 40,000 permanent and temporary staff to 拢10.50 an hour in London and 拢9.50 across the rest of the country. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Im
Image: Unions say workers are being treated 'as though they were trained triathletes'

However this has left staff complaining that the company's aim to ship more goods in less time is pushing them beyond their physical limits.

Workers at the company's fulfilment centre in Shakopee, Minnesota, are walking out on strike for six hours during the 48-hour sale period.

They will be joined by staff in Germany at seven warehouses across the country, as well as workers and supporters protesting in Spain, Poland, and the UK.

Stuart Appelaum, the president for UNI Global Union, a Switzerland-based union co-ordinating Amazon workers and their unions, said: "Amazon needs to understand that human beings are not robots.

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"By doubling Prime Day's duration and halving the delivery time, the company is testing hundreds of thousands of workers' physical limits as though they were trained triathletes. This is plain wrong.

"Operating at these speeds for this duration means Amazon needs to hire more workers, under more sustainable speeds that don't put workers' lives in jeopardy. Instead, we are seeing a callous indifference to worker safety."

Amazon is one of the most valuable companies in the world in terms of shares, and is currently worth around $911bn (£726bn).

SWANSEA, WALES - NOVEMBER 23: Workers arrive as GMB, the union for Amazon workers, stages a protest over what it claims are 'inhuman conditions' at the Amazon Swansea fulfillment centre at Ffordd Amazon on November 23, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. Protests are being held at five Amazon sites across the UK on Black Friday. Amazon recently increased wages for 40,000 permanent and temporary staff to 拢10.50 an hour in London and 拢9.50 across the rest of the country. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
Image: Prime Day was launched in 2015 as a promotional day for Amazon's subscribers

Prime is a key revenue factor for Amazon, although the company does not specifically report how significant its contributions are.

But according to the Financial Times, the programme has "played a significant role in the growth of Amazon's marketplace" and the subscriber base was estimated at worth nearly $190bn (£151bn) over its purchasing lifetime.

Sellers told the newspaper they felt pressurised to offer Amazon a cut of their sales in order to win a blue "Prime" label and appear high in the search results.

A spokesperson for Amazon said: "Today, our well-paid, dedicated and highly-respected teams, are doing what they do every day - delivering for their customers in an environment that's fun, engaging and set-up to help them succeed.

"With industry-leading pay, comprehensive benefits and outstanding career opportunities, Amazon is the employer of choice for thousands of people across the UK."

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