Amazon Germany Workers To Go On A Strike Over COVID-19 Safety On Monday

Amazon Inc AMZN workers at six facilities in Germany are planning a Monday strike to protest the company's safety measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19), public broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.

What Happened

The protest organized under the slogan "good and healthy work" by labor union Verdi will go on for 48 hours, according to DW.

"We are stepping up the pace because Amazon is not showing to this point any insight and is endangering the health of employees in favor of profit," a union representative told DW.

According to Verdi, there have been at least two COVID-19 outbreaks at the e-commerce company's warehouses in the country, affecting between 30 and 40 workers.

The labor union has also been locked in a dispute over wages with Amazon since 2013, seeking a collective bargaining agreement for the Seattle-based company's employees.

Why It Matters

Germany is the second-largest market for Amazon after the U.S.

The e-commerce company has faced similar criticism from its warehouse and delivery workers across the globe.

Amazon faced regulatory scrutiny in the United States after it fired a worker at its Staten Island warehouse, which organized protests against the alleged lack of safety measures taken to protect the workers from the coronavirus.

AMZN Price Action

Amazon shares closed 2.2% lower at $2,692.87 on Friday. The shares traded 0.1% lower at $2,690.