Amazon workers strike in Germany, Spain on Black Friday: report
National Taxpayers Union senior fellow Mattie Duppler on consumer spending and how Amazon workers staged strikes in Spain and Germany.
On the day that kicks-off the Christmas shopping season, Amazon workers in parts of Europe have gone on strike.
Workers walked off the job at logistic centers in Germany and Spain on Friday, according to Reuters.
Amazon Germany said around 620 workers were participating in the strikes at its Bad Hersfeld and Rheinberg facilities, but the majority of employees were continuing to work and there was no impact on customer orders.
Germany's Verdi services union had called for Amazon workers to strike for 24 hours until midnight on Friday, demanding better pay and labor contracts that guarantee healthy working conditions.
Amazon Germany said its jobs offered competitive pay and comprehensive benefits from the first day of employment.
Staff in Germany earn a starting salary of $12.23 per hour.
Workers at Amazon's biggest warehouse in Spain, San Fernando de Henares, walked off the job on Friday and will also strike on Saturday.
Unions said between 85 and 90 percent of staff were taking part in the industrial action.
Amazon Spain said the figures did not reflect reality and a majority of employees were processing orders.
Black Friday, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, was so named because spending in the United States would surge and retailers would traditionally begin to turn a profit for the year - moving from the red ink into the black.