Amazon’s German workers have threatened to go on strike prior to Christmas this year. There have been previous strikes this year over the pay that workers receive from Amazon in Germany, despite Amazon arguing that they get an above-average pay for workers in their industry. Despite this argument from Amazon, workers are still threatening to go on strike, and they have no problem going on strike when it’s capable of crippling Amazon the most – christmas.

This is another ethical issue being raised, one where you have to consider both sides of the argument. So which do you side with?

Amazon is currently the largest online retailer. Amazon has raised multiple controversies over the almost-20 years that they’ve been running. The Daily Mail described workers as ‘human robots’, and have been subject to harsh working conditions. In Allentown, Pennsylvania warehouse workers carried out work in temperatures of 38 degrees celcius, causing dehydration and collapsing in the work place. The information that has been gathered such as this information results in people questioning just how much the ‘average’ payment for workers in this industry should be. It’s unethical to put people through such turmoil merely to make the most out of the business that they’re so effortlessly trying to maintain. Amazon should be able to provide their workers with the conditions that satisfy them best. Better conditions usually lead to better results, better results lead to better business, better business leads to more success. If problems with workers happen in one area of the world and it’s reported, who’s to say that it’s not happening all over the world?

It’s also possible that workers are merely looking to force the company to provide them with greater wages and salaries merely because as world prices go up, they want more money too.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/06/net-us-amazon-germany-strike-idUSBRE99506520131006

Apple Inc. (AAPL) introduced the newest phones that they’ve manufactured: the 5S and the 5c. Both phones have new and improved technology built into the product and provide a newer and more advanced experience for new users and Apple-enthusiasts alike. Despite this, Apple is in trouble. The 5c was built to be Apple’s cheapest new model, yet despite this, they still want to sell it at $549 to start. The product is still yet to be released in India, and the price at which Apple is looking to introduce their product at will be “more than five times the $99 buyers opting for a plan in the U.S. pay”, according to Kartikay Mehrotra, who wrote a report on 5c sales in India on Bloomberg (link to article at the bottom of the page).

Apple’s 5c was an attempt to provide a cheaper iPhone for those who liked their products but found their higher-end products out of their price range. The 5S – Apple’s newest high-end smartphone – is priced at $399 in the US, whereas in the UK, the cheapest (16GB), is £549 ($880) – more than double the price of the most expensive version in the US. Almost 80% of Samsung’s sales come from products priced below $380 (significantly cheaper than Apple’s newest models).

However, the iPhone continues to be very expensive and less desired than the Samsung products. Additionally, there have been complaints about the iPhone 5c. Despite being provided as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 5S, the look of a 5c appear to be less visually appealing to customers. The material used makes it look cheaper than Apple products are ‘supposed’ to look, putting people off the phone in addition to the price of the phone itself.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-30/iphone-5c-sales-seen-tepid-as-contracts-shunned-corporate-india.html

BlackBerry Ltd (BB) is currently in a serious financial situation which has forced them to look to sell their company to those who are interested. As of today, their stock has fallen 35% this year and they’re currently trading 95% off their 2008 peak stock prices. Fairfax Financial Holding’s (FFH) have produced a bid for BB at $9-a-share. BlackBerry’s market value has dropped to $4 Billion after they fell 0.4% to $7.70.

Currently, BlackBerry Ltd’s smartphone has grown less and less popular. The lack of popularity of the BB smartphone has been partly due to a significant rise in popularity of Samsung, who now control 32% of the smartphone market, and a continuing popularity of Apple, who control 14% of the market (which is actually a drop). BlackBerry has had serious competition on the Market, and despite being popular to begin with, have found themselves struggling against the likes of Apple and Samsung, who continue to be two of the most popular smartphone brands on the market. BlackBerry has altered their marketing strategy various times to try and compete but unfortunately have not managed to breakthrough the ‘invisible barrier’ that’s kept them in the position that their in.

With a successful change in strategy, BlackBerry could find themselves competing with the most successful of smartphones again, but as their stocks continue to decline, and the company itself continues to lose money at a rapid rate, decisions will have to be made quickly before they find themselves in a much worse position than their in already.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-04/blackberry-drop-reveals-biggest-discount-of-north-american-deals.html