- Workers in Italy and Germany plan to strike on Black Friday.
- At least 500 from Piacenza, Italy, said they will walk out.
- Amazon said it will do its best to fulfil orders without them.
More than 500 Amazon employees in Europe will go on strike on Black Friday in a bid to win higher pay from the retailer, according to trade unions.
Large numbers of employees in Germany and Italy will stay home for one of the busiest shopping days of the year in a bid to win concessions from their employer.
Workers at Amazon’s main Italian distribution hub posted a statement saying that they would walk out after attempts to secure bonuses from management broke down.
They said at least 500 of the 1,600 staff in Piacenza, 45 miles south of Milan, would refuse to work on Black Friday, according to the Reuters news agency. They are also refusing to work overtime until the New Year.
At the same time, workers at six distribution centres in Germany are also due to strike as part of a long-running pay dispute.
The ver.di union is co-ordinating the walkout, and said its members deserve a bigger share of the profits Amazon makes from the holiday.
They did not specify how many workers were due to strike. Business Insider has contacted ver.di to ask for a figure.
According to Reuters, the strike will be the first ever for Italian Amazon workers, though those in Germany have taken action before.
In a statement to Reuters, Amazon in Italy said its focus would be trying to make sure that orders made on and around Black Friday arrive on time.
It added that its workers' salaries are already high, and they get other benefits including medical insurance and training.