Nearly 2,000 people on strike! Amazon workers still don't want to go back to work

On Wednesday, Amazon's office workers went on strike as planned to show their "distrust" of the company's leadership . This may be the largest protest within Amazon in recent times.

That afternoon, organizers of the strike said more than 1,000 company employees participated in the strike. However, Amazon disputed this number, saying only about 300 people participated.

In an email the night before, the organizer said more than 1,800 Amazon employees had pledged to strike to call on company leadership to pay attention to the difficulties employees are currently facing, including the demand to return to the office three days a week.

“We’re here because many Amazonians instinctively sense that something is wrong at the company,” said Eliza Pan, a former Amazon employee and co-founder of Amazon Climate Protection, during a walkout in Seattle on Wednesday. “And there are a lot of signs that prove it, like the rigid, one-size-fits-all requirements to return to the office.”

The strike officially began at noon local time. In addition to the offline march, the organizers also started a simultaneous live broadcast on Twitter to draw more attention to this event.

It is understood that the strike was mainly led by the Amazon Climate Protection Organization and the Initiative Remote Work Group. The employees participating in the strike have two main demands: asking the e-commerce giant to put climate change at the top of its decision-making and to provide more flexibility for employees on where to work.

The strike follows rounds of layoffs at tech giants including Amazon due to economic turmoil, with Amazon expected to lay off up to 27,000 people this year.

On the other hand, as the impact of the epidemic gradually subsides, major technology companies in the United States have begun to require employees to return to the office to work. In February this year, Amazon stated that from May 1, employees will need to go to the office to work at least three days a week.

Last week, an Amazon employee who was planning to walk out said morale had hit an all-time low after hearing the news they would be returning to the office.

In a statement released Wednesday, Amazon acknowledged that some employees may need "time" to adjust to spending more time in the office and said it was working to make the transition as smooth as possible for employees.

Amazon spokesman Brad Glasser said in a statement, "We've been listening to our employees, and from what we've seen, the first month back in the office has been great, and the office is now more vibrant."

In addition to the return to the office policy, Glaser also mentioned Amazon's efforts in environmental protection: "We strive to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and more than 400 companies have joined our climate commitment."

Amazon

strike