Amazon faces trouble on the continent as German union calls for Easter strike

Amazon Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is facing yet more problems on the labour relations front after a trade union in Germany, the company’s second-largest market, called on workers at six of its distribution sites to go on strike from Sunday evening. Verdi, Germany’s second-largest trade union with around 2mln members, has called on workers at Amazon’s sites in Rheinberg, Werne, Koblenz, Leipzig and at two locations in Bad Hersfeld to go on strike for four days in a bid to force the corporation to recognise collective bargaining agreements. READ: Amazon suffers PR fiasco as leaked documents show awareness of workers urinating in bottles The union is also demanding a 4.5% pay increase for workers in the retail and mail order industry, which are due to start in the next few weeks. Verdi’s call for strike action will add more pressure to Amazon’s PR department as it struggles to contain growing outrage over the treatment of its employees and accusations of ‘union-busting’ activities in the US. Last week the corporation suffered a PR fiasco after internal documents were published that revealed the company was aware of delivery workers urinating in bottles due to being unable to access toilets, despite having previously denied such events on Twitter. The ecommerce giant is also alleged to have employed tactics to prevent or discourage workers from organising at its huge fulfilment centres. Shares in Amazon were flat at US$3,050 in pre-market trading in New York on Monday.