Amazon Black Friday sale sparks global strikes over worker rights and Palestinian solidarity

As Amazon’s Black Friday sales kick off, the e-commerce giant faces a wave of global strikes, protests, and calls for boycotts. Workers, supported by unions and activist organisations, are mobilising under the slogan “Make Amazon Pay” to demand fair treatment and accountability from the multinational corporation.

The coordinated campaign, running from November 29 to December 2, is led by the UNI Global Union and Progressive International, representing millions of workers and allies worldwide. Protesters are highlighting Amazon’s labour practices, environmental impact, and alleged complicity in human rights violations.

“In New Delhi hundreds of Amazon workers will rally to demand fair treatment considering Amazon mistreatment of workers during a massive heatwave last July summer,” said the UNI Global Union press note.

Thousands of Amazon employees in Germany, garment workers in Bangladesh, and union members in India have joined the protests. The Amazon India Workers Union, backed by the UNI Global Union, shared an image of its preparations for the protest.

“The stage is set… Workers, activists, and allies are coming together to demand fair wages, safe working conditions, and accountability from Amazon. Today, voices for justice and dignity will rise!” the union declared on the platform X.

Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, emphasised the stakes in a statement: “Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment, and democracy. The global protests show that workers’ desire for justice and union representation cannot be stopped. Make Amazon Pay Day has become a worldwide act of resistance against Amazon’s abuse of power.”

Calls for boycott over ties to Israel

Progressive International has urged consumers to boycott Amazon over its partnership with Israel’s military under Project Nimbus, a cloud-computing contract. The organisation accused Amazon of profiting from Black Friday sales while supporting what it described as “Israel’s genocide in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank.”

“This Black Friday, we say: Not a dime for genocide,” stated Progressive International, aligning the boycott with November 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The initiative has gained support from the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement and the No Tech for Apartheid coalition, which condemns tech companies enabling violence against Palestinians.

Now in its fifth year, Make Amazon Pay Day began on Black Friday in 2020 as a coordinated response to Amazon’s treatment of workers and broader social concerns. As protests and strikes continue to grow globally, the campaign underscores rising resistance to one of the world’s most powerful corporations.