Strike at Amazon: Leipzig employees demand fair working conditions!

Strike at Amazon: Leipzig employees demand fair working conditions!

On July 11, 2025, employees at the Amazon location in Leipzig stopped work to fight for better working conditions and the recognition of collective agreements. Around 130 employees are taking part in the strike, which takes place during “Prime Week,” during which Amazon Prime subscribers can purchase discounted items. The strike movement also includes other locations in Bad Hersfeld, Dortmund, Werne, Koblenz and Rheinberg, where a total of around 9,000 employees are affected. This walkout, which began on Thursday and is expected to last until Saturday afternoon, has been a recurring phenomenon for 11 years, with employees pushing for collective bargaining that has previously been denied by Amazon.

Jens Uhlig, ver.di union secretary, sharply criticized the company and emphasized: “Amazon refuses to have serious discussions about working conditions.” The union's demands not only include the recognition of collective agreements in retail and mail order, but also healthy and safe working conditions. Ver.di highlights that the realities of working conditions at Amazon are characterized by constant performance checks, app monitoring and stress due to the increased order volume during Prime Week.

Health risks and lack of appreciation

The strike is not only for economic reasons, but also for health reasons. The high workload and the pressure generated by the increased orders are causing employees to suffer increasingly from stress. Amazon is accused of expanding its market dominance at the expense of its employees by denying industry-standard wages and reasonable working conditions.
The United Services Union therefore not only demands payment according to the collective agreement, but also a binding commitment to honoring work performance during particularly labor-intensive times.

For the employees at Amazon, the strike is also an act of protest against a workplace culture that is heavily characterized by surveillance and pressure to perform. Despite the increase in hourly wages in recent years, salaries often remain below those of collectively agreed companies. The union hopes that the current strike will draw more attention to these grievances, especially since Amazon does not expect any noticeable impact on its business operations during this time.