The Independent Trade Union Confederation of Luxembourg (OGBL) has expressed disapproval of Amazon’s decision to require some of its employees to work on the nation’s National Day, June 23, at the company’s Kirchberg site. The criticism comes as the holiday aligned with Amazon’s annual Prime Day operations, prompting the e-commerce giant to have a limited number of staff on duty.
Amazon defended its position by stating that those who worked did so voluntarily and that all involved would be compensated according to the country’s labor laws. The company emphasized that the number of employees required to work was minimal, suggesting that the operations were necessary to meet the demands of Prime Day activities.
However, OGBL has argued that public holidays should be reserved for rest, except for workers in essential services like healthcare and emergency response. The union contends that the voluntary nature of the work does not absolve employers of their legal responsibilities regarding holiday pay. They maintain that compensation should reflect the additional work undertaken on a public holiday.
The union has urged employees who were required to work on National Day, particularly those not in managerial roles, to scrutinize their payslips to ensure they receive the appropriate additional compensation mandated by law. OGBL advises any worker who discovers discrepancies in their pay to contact their human resources department or staff representatives to address any issues.