Warehouse workers at Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) are planning to strike during the online retailers’ lucrative summer sale known as "Prime Day" in order to protest low wages.
The strike by warehouse workers during the summer sales extravaganza shows that labor unrest persists at Amazon even after the company committed to paying all employees at least $15 U.S. an hour.
Amazon launched Prime Day five years ago as a means of boosting sales during the dog days of summer. On Prime Day, Amazon offers discounts on televisions, toys and clothes to people who pay subscription fees in exchange for free shipping and other perks.
Amazon has declined to comment on the planned strike. However, in Europe, where unions are stronger, Amazon workers routinely strike during big shopping events such as Prime Day and Black Friday. Until now, Amazon’s U.S. workers haven’t walked off the job during key sales days.
As one of the world’s most valuable companies -- led by Jeff Bezos, the world’s wealthiest person -- Amazon has become a symbol of income inequality. Critics say it benefits from tax breaks to build warehouses but pays workers so little that some are forced to seek government assistance for basic needs such as food and health care. In 2018, Amazon pledged to pay at least $15 an hour to all its employees.
