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