Logistics workers at Amazon have laid off work at six locations in Germany. The strike is taking place after some thirty to forty colleagues were reportedly infected with coronacirus.
The strike started on Monday and will last for at least 48 hours, trade union Verdi reported to Reuters. Work has been suspended at distribution centres in Leipzig, Bad Hersfeld, Rheinberg, Werne and Koblenz.
The staff are protesting due to a lack of transparency by the e-commerce giant. Employees are said to have tested positive for COVID-19. "We have information that at least 30 to 40 colleagues have been infected," Verdi spokesman Orhan Akman said.
470 million hand gels
Responding to the allegations, Amazon states that it has invested $4 billion in recent months to protect staff from infection in the workplace. At its distribution centres in Germany, 470 million disinfectant gels, 21 million pairs of gloves, 19 million mouth masks and 39 million boxes of disinfectant wipes have passed through since February, an Amazon spokesman said.
Closure of DCs France
In April, Amazon closed its French distribution centres after a judge ruled that the e-commerce giant would not do enough to protect its 10,600 employees. The e-tailer was only allowed to ship essential goods and would otherwise be fined. Amazon deemed the risk of that fine too high and decided to cease operations completely, restarting the operation after a month.
Image: Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock.com
