A man holds a FIT-CISL flag outside a distribution center during an attack on Amazon’s logistics operations in Italy, in Passo Corese, Italy, on March 22, 2021.
Remo Casilli | Reuters
Amazon warehouse and delivery workers went on strike in Italy to raise questions about working conditions.
The 24-hour strike is taking place at several Amazon warehouses in Italy, including in Tuscany, Florence and Pisa. FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and Uiltrasporti unions said it was the first national strike to affect all of Amazon’s logistics operations in Italy.
The strike comes at a time when tensions between Amazon and its top-tier workforce in Europe and the United States are mounting amid the coronavirus pandemic. Deposit workers in Italy and elsewhere in Europe went on strike last year to ask Amazon to implement security measures against the coronavirus. Workers across the U.S. also took part in strikes and protests last year to highlight similar concerns.
In addition, warehouse workers at the Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama, known as BHM1, are currently voting whether they want to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The unions have a stronger position among part of Amazon’s European workforce, but Amazon has managed to hinder organizational efforts in the U.S.
FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and Uiltrasporti called the strike after saying that negotiations were interrupted with Assoespressi, an employers’ association representing last-mile carriers and e-commerce, including some of Amazon’s third-party delivery companies in Italy .
Workers and unions are calling on Amazon and Assoespressi to make changes to workloads, shifts and benefits. They are also asking for access to a “Covid permit for operations in constant pandemic conditions”.
Stuart Jackson, director of communications for Amazon’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told CNBC in a statement: “The fact is that Amazon and our Italian network of independent delivery service providers already offer what these groups they are asking for – excellent pay, excellent benefits and excellent opportunities for career growth, all in a safe and modern work environment. The unions know this. ”
Representatives of FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and Uiltrasporti did not immediately respond to a request for comment.