Amazon, photo Scott Lewis./CC, photo Scott Lewis/Creative Commons

Amazon, photo Scott Lewis./CC, photo Scott Lewis/Creative Commons   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Swansea

Representatives from the GMB trade union, along with Swansea Trade Union Council and Swansea Socialist Party gathered at the entrance of the Amazon warehouse in Swansea at 7am on 23 November.

We wanted to catch the morning shift on Black Friday, Amazon’s biggest day of the year. 20 of us, with flags, banners and placards made our presence felt as part of a national day of action. The aim was to recruit and organise workers at Amazon and to protest the awful reality of pay and conditions.

A steady stream of cars and workers on foot stopped to take leaflets and honked to show support. The mood was markedly enthusiastic and determined.

The fight is part of an international battle against Jeff Bezos, richest man in the world and his company’s continued exploitation of workers.

Workers are organising across Europe – in Spain, Germany as well as Britain – and across the US. Socialist Alternative, the Socialist Party’s US co-thinkers, and its Seattle councillor Kshama Sawant have been at the forefront of the Tax Amazon movement in the city and in New York.

Gareth Bromhall, Swansea Socialist Party

Peterborough

At Peterborough Amazon Socialist Party members joined the GMB union handing out several hundred recruitment leaflets.

We drew attention to the June Socialist Alternative [US paper] centre page spread on fighting for a tax on Amazon in Seattle.

Steve Cawley, Peterborough Socialist Party