WORKERS went on strike at one of Germany’s nine Amazon sites yesterday, aiming to hit the US online retail giant in the wallet during the pre-Christmas season in a long-running pay dispute.

Services sector union Verdi said the workers had walked out at midnight at one of the company’s distribution centres in Bad Hersfeld in Hesse state.

Verdi said members wanted to “raise the pressure on Amazon in the Christmas sales season.” The union wants Amazon to bring the pay of its 9,000 German workers into line with wages across the mail order and retail industry.

However, the penny-pinching multibillion-pound company argues that its centres are logistics sites and that it pays its staff accordingly.

Verdi will keep up the pressure in the year-long dispute “as long as Amazon denies workers respect and protection through collective agreements,” said union spokeswoman Stefanie Nutzenberger.