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For four years now and since the start of November the Verdi trade union has been regularly launching strike action against Amazon Deutschland, which runs nine logistics/ distribution centers in Germany and employs some 11,000. “Each time around 20% -30% of employees take part,” a Verdi spokesperson explained. The union is seeking the establishment of a central works council and above all wants to require the company to sign a company collective agreement that would be in line with the more advantageous retailing sector standards than the less generous logistics sector standards. Amazon has maintained an intransigent stance, which is made all the more possible because the strike action undertaken has no real effect on package delivery deadlines or on company operations. Gerrit Heinemann, Professor at the Lower-Rhineland University (Krefeld) and e-commerce specialist in response to questions put by the daily publication Die Welt, stated, “Amazon has already built the scenario into its operations.” The company has invested in robotics and has also developed a way of working that can quickly move portions of its German orders into its foreign centers including in Poland and in the Czech Republic. As a result the strike action only results in minimal delivery delays and clients hardly experience any effect at all. Going forward Amazon’s management is unlikely to alter its modus operandi and will further strengthen automation elements, ensure acceptable salary levels but will not link with a trade union and will make no commitment to a collective agreement.
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