Economics: Calling The Robots

(Drivebycuriosity) - The busy holiday season has started and Amazon and other E-commerce companies are processing a wave of orders. Unfortunately there were some strikes last Friday, usually called Black Friday. "Hundreds of Amazon workers in Italy and Germany were on strike during one of the busiest shopping days of the year", reported BBC (bbc.com). The unions in both countries called the strikes over pay and working conditions and they chose Black Friday to cause a maximum of pain for the employer.

Unfortunately those strikes don´t just punish the online company, they also disappoint customers who expect a punctual delivery of their orders. Parents wouldn`t be happy, if they would be empty handed at Christmas because their presents would not arrive in time as a result of a strike. Spouse, friends and business partners also could be disappointed.

I reckon that those strikes are pushing Amazon and other retailers to accelerate their automation process. In 2012 year Amazon bought Kiva Systems, a manufacturer of robots that scuttle around warehouses filling orders. The online retailer uses  these robotic systems to reduce her costs and to deliver faster. According to media reports they already employ 45,000 robots across 20 fulfillment centers - about 50% more than in 2016 (businessinsider).

Robots don´t fight for higher wages, they don´t demand better working place conditions, they don´t sue about sexual harassment and they don´t strike. It looks like that the unions in Italy & Germany are calling for more robots.