Some employees of Amazon, the largest e-commerce company in the United States, are planning to go on strike in protest against the return-to-office policy.
On the 23rd (local time), CNN Business cited organizers’ emails and public social media posts that Amajun’s internal remote work support group and climate justice group are jointly leading the strike.
They are calling on Amazon to put climate impact on its decision-making priorities and give its employees greater flexibility in how and where they work.
They will start a partial strike from the 31st. The organizers agreed to proceed with the strike if at least 1,000 workers agreed to participate through an internal pledge.
An Amazon employee planning to go on strike next week said: “The hope of this strike is a clear commitment to real action from leadership on a number of issues that require better long-term decision-making that benefits not only our employees, but the communities we serve. It is to convey a message,” he said.
The strike attempt comes after Amazon, like other big techs, laid off tens of thousands of workers since late last year amid economic uncertainty. Amazon plans to lay off 27,000 employees in several rounds of job cuts this year.
At the same time, Amazon and companies are promoting a return to the office from home work, which was active during Corona 19. In February, Amazon required thousands of its employees to come to the office at least three days a week, starting on the 1st of this month.
In addition, the Amazon internal group for climate justice, which is leading the strike, is criticizing Amazon for not taking action on the climate pledge it signed in 2019. The pledge states that Amazon will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
“We respect the right of our employees to express their views,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNN in a statement.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.