German Union Verdi Calls for Amazon Employees to Strike Over Coronavirus Infections June 29 2020 - 06:01AM Dow Jones News By Kim Richters
German labor union Verdi has called on Amazon.com Inc. employees in Germany to strike for at least two days starting Monday, citing concerns over recent coronavirus infections at company sites.
Strikes are planned at six of the U.S. e-commerce company's locations in Germany and would last at least 48 hours, the union said Sunday.
It said there have been recent coronavirus outbreaks at Amazon sites in cities like Bad Hersfeld and it is criticizing the company for a lack of transparency.
"According to our information, there have been at least 30 to 40 colleagues infected," union representative Orhan Akman said in a statement.
Apart from strikes in cities like Leipzig, the union also plans measures at locations where strikes aren't possible because of coronavirus restrictions.
A spokesman for Amazon in Germany said in an email that in the case of Bad Hersfeld, city authorities had concluded the infections stemmed from "private activities," and it had introduced measures like mandatory masks at all company sites.
Amazon will have invested around $4 billion in measures to protect staff and customers world-wide from coronavirus as of the end of June, the spokesman added.
The union demanded that Amazon accept an agreement that emphasizes employee health and security, as well as regional collective agreements for the retail sector, a long-standing point of contention between the union and the company.
Amazon said the unions demands were already a "reality for Amazon's employees: wages at the upper end of what is paid for comparable activities, development opportunities for many people and above all a safe working environment."
Iowa, Delaware, and California have the most digital entrepreneurs – small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) selling in Amazon’s stores – per capita
Iowa, Washington, and Alabama have the fastest growing digital entrepreneurs based on year-over-year growth
47 states are home to more than 1,000 SMBs selling in Amazon’s stores, and 26 states have more than 5,000
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) today revealed the top 10 states with the most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) selling in Amazon’s stores per capita, and the top 10 states with the fastest growing SMBs selling in Amazon’s stores. As companies and individuals have turned to selling online to grow sales amidst the pandemic, Iowa, Delaware, California, Wyoming, and New Jersey have the most SMBs per capita reaching customers in Amazon’s stores, while SMBs in Iowa, Washington, Alabama, Virginia, and Louisiana are growing their businesses the fastest on average in Amazon’s stores. Amazon also revealed that overall, 47 states are each home to more than 1,000 SMB sellers and 26 states each have more than 5,000 SMB sellers.
This announcement comes ahead of the release of Amazon’s 2020 SMB Impact Report, which will unveil more new data on the growth SMBs selling in Amazon’s stores have seen in the past 12 months.
“Iowa is home to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses selling in Amazon’s stores, and we’re working hard to support their growth despite the global pandemic,” said Keri Cusick, head of small business empowerment at Amazon. “Both top 10 lists we revealed today demonstrate innovation in every corner of the country, with states like Iowa, Delaware, Wyoming, and Alabama coming out on top.”
The top 10 states with the most digital entrepreneurs per capita:
Iowa – with nearly 10,000 SMB sellers Delaware – with over 3,000 SMB sellers California – with over 100,000 SMB sellers Wyoming – with over 1,000 SMB sellers New Jersey – with over 20,000 SMB sellers Vermont – with over 1,000 SMB sellers New York – with nearly 50,000 SMB sellers Utah – with over 7,000 SMB sellers New Hampshire – with over 3,000 SMB sellers Florida – with over 50,000 SMB sellers
The top 10 states with the fastest year-over-year growth by digital entrepreneurs:
Iowa – 57% growth Washington – 56% growth Alabama – 53% growth Virginia – 50% growth Louisiana – 49% growth Georgia – 45% growth West Virginia – 45% growth South Dakota – 45% growth Rhode Island – 40% growth Alaska – 38% growth
“It’s always surprising to see what interesting businesses selling in Amazon’s stores are hidden in all the different nooks and crannies around town,” said Tahmi DeSchepper, one of more than a dozen Fairfield, IA businesses selling products in Amazon’s stores. “My handmade jewelry business has been booming since joining Amazon. Amazon helped me double my sales last year, and I'm expecting another 50 to 75 percent increase in sales this year, despite the pandemic.”
“Launching on Amazon is by far the best decision I’ve made for my business,” said Blake Anderson, CEO of Pet Parents® based in Ankeny, IA. “We’ve reached more customers than we ever could have on our own and have continued to grow more than 90 percent year-over-year. Thanks to our growth with Amazon, we now have 15 local employees in Ankeny, just moved into a 7,000 square foot office and warehouse, and are in the process of expanding further.”
Small and medium-sized businesses selling in Amazon’s stores come from every state in the U.S., and more than 130 countries around the world. In 2019, more than 15,000 American SMBs exceeded $1 million in sales in Amazon’s stores worldwide, and nearly 25,000 surpassed $500,000 in sales. Products from small and medium-sized businesses make up more than half of all items sold in Amazon’s stores worldwide.
Amazon spent $15 billion last year on logistics, tools, services, programs, and people to help small and medium-sized businesses around the globe succeed in its online stores. As part of this investment, the company launched Amazon Small Business Academy to help small businesses in the U.S. harness the power of the internet to reach more customers, build their brand, and grow sales. Through a combination of free in-person seminar events, live webinars, and community college classes across the country, Amazon Small Business Academy will help thousands of American entrepreneurs gain digital strategy and brand building skills to make their ambitions reality.
To learn more about the millions of small and medium-sized businesses growing with Amazon, visit: aboutamazon.com/supporting-small-businesses.
About Amazon
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