- Amazon increases entry-level wages in logistics
The U.S. corporation Amazon plans to increase the starting wage for its employees in logistics by one Euro to 15 Euros and more. The German Amazon company announced this on Wednesday in Munich. This will apply from September, with the company having initiated talks with the works councils. The previous starting salary was 14 Euros "and more" - the latter means that wages can vary slightly regionally.
In addition to the wage increase, the company also announced the promotion of further training offers worth up to 8,000 Euros and a free Germany ticket for public regional transport by bus and train.
In the spring, employers and the union Verdi agreed on wage increases in the logistics sector in several federal states during the current collective bargaining round. The Amazon management has always rejected collective agreements, which has been a long-standing point of contention with Verdi.
According to the company's figures, over 20,000 Amazon employees currently work in Germany in logistics. By the end of the year, the total number of permanent employees in Germany is expected to rise to 40,000, which would be 4,000 more than last year.
Amazon has expanded its market share in the German online retail sector in recent years and has hired new employees accordingly. Another logistics center in Horn-Bad Meinberg is scheduled to start operation in late summer, preceded by the opening of a new location in Erfurt in May.
The Amazon announcement of a wage increase for its logistics employees is likely to influence other companies in the logistics sector, encouraging them to consider similar actions. The increase in wages for Amazon's logistics employees will also contribute to improving the overall standard of living for workers in this sector.
