Catherwood LibraryILR School

Amazon's expansion into Europe has encountered growing pains with workers in its German warehouses. The online retail giant's decidedly anti-union stance has clashed with a culture where unions have a long tradition of working closely companies. As a result, strikes at Amazon have become more and more frequent in Germany, as workers push to unionize and gain recognition from the company. Although Amazon claims the strikes have not affected the company's shipping schedules, the company has been hurt in the court of public opinion, where Amazon is increasingly viewed as treating Germany's business traditions with disregard and trampling worker rights. Representatives for the company deny that they have any obligation to alter the structure of their relationship with workers, and have threatened to move its operations to other countries if the strikes become problematic to Amazon's operations.