AMAZON staff and their supporters have staged rallies in dozens of countries worldwide to demand better conditions while kicking off fresh efforts to unionise the retail giant’s workforce.

The protests were timed to coincide with Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Amazon workers say that Black Friday puts additional stress on them as they struggle to keep up with demand.

The protests, organised by the Make Amazon Pay campaign, saw calls for union recognition in Bangladesh, strikes at nearly 20 warehouses in France and Germany and walkouts in Britain and a dozen cities in the United States, plus a protest by newly unionised workers in Japan.

Christie Hoffman, president of UNI Global Union, which is part of the Make Amazon Pay campaign, said: “Today, unions, civil society and progressive elected officials will stand shoulder to shoulder in a massive global day of action to denounce Amazon’s despicable multimillion-dollar campaigns to kill worker-led union efforts.

“It’s time for the tech giant to cease their awful, unsafe practices immediately, respect the law and negotiate with the workers who want to make their jobs better.”

In Bangladesh, Sommilto Garments Sramik Federation president Nazma Akhter said: “Garment workers like those I represent toil to swell Amazon’s coffers often without any recognition that we are even Amazon workers.

“Amazon is the third-largest direct employer in the world, but when you take us in the supply chain into account, it is even larger.

“At work, we can face sexual harassment from management and victimisation when we try to organise in a trade union against … violence and for better pay and conditions.”

In the US, Amazon spent about $4.3 million (£3.5m) on anti-union consultants last year as it worked to crush historic labour organising efforts in Alabama and New York.

Workers ultimately voted earlier this year to unionise at a Staten Island warehouse, making it the first-ever organised Amazon location in the country.

Meanwhile, Amazon avoided $5 billion (£4.1bn) in US federal corporate income taxes last year, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Across the globe, the workers who make Amazon’s vast logistics network and numerous businesses possible say that they are often subjected to inhumane treatment and forced to labour under gruelling conditions for meagre pay while company bosses grow richer each year.

Chief executive Andy Jassy received $213m (£176m) in total compensation last year.