Workers in Amazon’s fulfillment center in Spain have gone on strike just hours before the kick off of Amazon Prime Day, which is one of the company’s busiest days of the year.
A group called Amazon En Lucha oversaw the labor action, which will last until July 18. It’s hoping to gather wider support among employees in Amazon’s other European warehouses.
The striking employees, and it’s undetermined how many of the plant’s workers are participating in the walkout, say they are protesting an increase in hours and the elimination of bonuses, among other things.
The group’s Twitter account retweets several messages supporting its cause and among its backers is Spain’s communist party, which detailed the grievances in a statement Sunday.
Amazon, in a statement to Fortune, it said the company offers a generous compensation package as well as other benefits to workers in Madrid.
“Amazon is a fair and responsible employer and as such we are committed to dialogue, which is an inseparable part of our culture,” the company said. “We are committed to ensuring a fair cooperation with all our employees, including positive working conditions and a caring and inclusive environment. Amazon’s total compensation in Madrid is in the high range of the logistics sector and consists of base pay and an extensive benefits package: private medical insurance, a company pension plan, life assurance, employee discount and a Career Choice program that provides employees funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognized courses, over four years. Amazon has already invested over EUR 1,1 bln in Spain and created over 2000 permanent jobs since 2011 and we continue to be committed to Spain. ”
Whether the action will impact Prime Day sales is questionable, especially if other warehouses do not join in. The global shopping event begins mid-day Monday.
