Amazon workers in Germany go on strike today

Union Ver.di wants employees to get up to €9,000 more a year

Employees at Amazon's German base have gone on strike, as the German labour union Ver.di urged workers to put pressure on the global e-commerce firm to improve pay and benefits.

Amazon, which is the largest internet retailer in the world, employs around 9,000 people in Germany and has been attacked by Ver.di for not implementing a collective agreement on employment conditions that are similar to other mail order and retail firms, Reuters reports.

The union is also pressuring Amazon for higher basic pay and higher rates for night shifts.

In a statement, Ver.di said that the strike would start at 6am local time (5am BST) and would last until the end of the late shift.

In the Leipzig branch, the union is calling for starting pay of €10.66 (£9.03) an hour to replace the current rate of €9.30 (£7.88).

In Bad Hersfeld, they want pay of €9.83 (£8.33) an hour to be increased to €12.18 (£10.32) an hour.

The union said that overall, Amazon workers could get an additional €9,000 (£7,624) annually.

Amazon claims that its distribution warehouses in Germany are logistical centres, and employees are already among the top earners in the logistical industry, reports Bloomberg.

Ver.di represents about 3,300 employees in Bad Hersfeld and 2,000 in Leipzig.