Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday • Hacker News Board

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#31

Post by manmal » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:23 PM UTC

tboyd47 wrote: post #11

oblio wrote: post #4

Now that's something I haven't heard about in the US for a few decades: strikes. I'm partly kidding, but have there been any major strikes in the US lately?

Yes. There was a major strike of screenwriters in 2008. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007–08_Writers_Guild_of_Ame...

And notably, scripts from that time really are problematic (somewhat crappy dialogues, weak storylines), and I think some shows even got postponed or cancelled.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#32

Post by duiker101 » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:23 PM UTC

oblio wrote: post #4

Now that's something I haven't heard about in the US for a few decades: strikes. I'm partly kidding, but have there been any major strikes in the US lately?

Strikes are a pretty common thing in Italy. Especially in public sectors(transport, schools etc...)

Hell, when I was in high school even students had strikes.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#33

Post by eriken » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:24 PM UTC

oblio wrote: post #4

Now that's something I haven't heard about in the US for a few decades: strikes. I'm partly kidding, but have there been any major strikes in the US lately?

This happens way more in the south of europe than in the north, where unions realize that competitiveness trumps wages.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#34

Post by duiker101 » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:24 PM UTC

erikb wrote: post #14

Is there a Black Friday in Italy? I thought this would be a purely American thing.

It's just marketing. They make good money and the people see it on TV so they are happy to emulate.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#35

Post by icebraining » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:25 PM UTC

cybertronic wrote: post #7

pouetpouet wrote: post #2

Black friday is a thing in Italy??

Yes, but sadly, not Thanksgiving

Would be weird for a mostly Catholic country. In my corner of the European south we do celebrate St. Martin's Day, although with roasted chestnuts rather than turkey. And we drink piquette, which for some reason is illegal to sell in the EU nowadays.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#36

Post by tboyd47 » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:26 PM UTC

erikb wrote: post #15

tboyd47 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. There was a major strike of screenwriters in 2008. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007–08_Writers_Guild_of_Ame...

"lately" That's almost a decade ago.

Good point!

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#37

Post by etanol » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:27 PM UTC

Mountain_Skies wrote: post #18

pouetpouet wrote: post #2

Black friday is a thing in Italy??

It's spreading. Five years ago I was in Paraguay and they were having Black Friday sales. They didn't even translate the name into Spanish or Portuguese despite most of the customers being from Brazil and Argentina. Everyone just knew what those English words meant for shopping.

In Spain, Amazon was the major retailer introducing the Black Friday to the local masses.

During the next few years, other sellers joined the trend pushing it even more.

This year, in order to stay competitive, Amazon Spain has been "forced" to follow the trend and have a Black Friday WEEK.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#38

Post by sandworm101 » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:27 PM UTC

tboyd47 wrote: post #11

oblio wrote: post #4

Now that's something I haven't heard about in the US for a few decades: strikes. I'm partly kidding, but have there been any major strikes in the US lately?

Yes. There was a major strike of screenwriters in 2008. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007–08_Writers_Guild_of_Ame...

A previous strike closer to 2000 was the birth of "reality television". The original Survivor was pitched on the basis of its immunity to a looming writers strike.

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#39

Post by bobbyshaftoe » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:28 PM UTC

oblio wrote: post #4

Now that's something I haven't heard about in the US for a few decades: strikes. I'm partly kidding, but have there been any major strikes in the US lately?

Unfortunately, no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_union_busting_in_th...

Re: Workers at Amazon's main Italian hub, German warehouses strike on Black Friday

#40

Post by pjc50 » Thu, Nov 23, 2017, 2:28 PM UTC

oblio wrote: post #4

Now that's something I haven't heard about in the US for a few decades: strikes. I'm partly kidding, but have there been any major strikes in the US lately?

Neoliberalism has tried to structure the economy in order to render strikes impossible by guaranteeing that they can't cause any real inconvenience.

The "sharing economy" is merely the next generation of that: there's no workplace to picket and a "flexible" supply of labour willing to cross the picket anyway.