Workers at two Amazon distribution centers in Germany have gone on strike as part of a push for improved work conditions, leading to fears that Christmas orders may not arrive in time.
The German news agency dpa reported that workers in Leipzig in eastern Germany and Werne in western Germany went on strike early Monday.
The ver.di union representing the workers says Amazon employees receive lower wages than others in retail and mail-order jobs in Germany.
Amazon has said in the past that its employees earn relatively high wages for the industry.
The company said Monday that the “overwhelming majority” of its employees were working normally and that the strike at the two facilities in Germany would not affect its delivery commitments.
“We are well prepared for Christmas and look forward to delivering for our customers during this busy period, as we do all year round,” Amazon said.
Hirotec to build $40 million plant
Hirotec America, a Japanese based automotive supply company, announced Monday it will build a $40 million plant in Fayetteville, Tennessee that will create more than 100 jobs by 2020.
Hirotec America, established in 1988 with its headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, specializes in manufacturing tooling. The new location in Tennessee will add part production capacity in the United States, according to Hirotec CEO Katsutoshi Uno.
“I appreciate the warm hospitality that we have received and am looking forward to working closely with the community,” Uno said.
The company will build its plant in the Runway Centre Industrial Park, a Select Tennessee Certified Site. Construction will begin in the second quarter of 2019, and Hirotec anticipates the plant will be operational in the third quarter of 2020.
“Tennessee sits at the heart of the South’s auto industry. And with the expertise of our workforce, there’s no better place in the country to operate an automotive business than Tennessee,” Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement Monday.
General Shale buys Watsontown Brick
General Shale, a Johnson City, Tennessee-based maker of brick which operates a facility in Chattanooga, has agreed to buy the 110-year-old Watsontown Brick Company at the end of this year.
The acquisition adds a unique, high-quality brick line to General Shale’s extensive masonry products, and expands the company’s presence in the Eastern United States and Canada.
Headquartered in Watsontown, Pennsylvania, Watsontown Brick Company is a third-generation manufacturer that produces a variety of face, thin and molded bricks, along with pavers, in a wide range of colors, sizes and shapes. Watsontown Brick employs approximately 50 individuals and operates three production plants that manufacture 92 million brick units annually.
“We are excited to bring this outstanding company into the General Shale group as this acquisition will only strengthen our position as a leader in the U.S. brick industry,” said Charles Smith, president and CEO of General Shale.
Malaysia says Goldman broke law with fund
Malaysia filed criminal charges against Goldman Sachs and two former executives on Monday for their role in the alleged multibillion-dollar ransacking of state investment fund 1MDB.
Attorney General Tommy Thomas said the government is seeking several billion dollars in fines from Goldman Sachs for breaches of securities laws that involved it making false and misleading statements to investors.
He said his office will seek prison sentences of up to 10 years for the former Goldman executives, Roger Ng Chong Hwa and Tim Leissner, who is married to model Kimora Lee Simmons.
Malaysian and U.S. prosecutors allege that bond sales organized by Goldman Sachs for 1MDB provided one of the means for associates of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to steal billions over several years from a fund that was ostensibly set up to accelerate Malaysia’s economic development.
Najib himself is facing corruption charges. He has said that more than $700 million that moved through his bank account was a political donation from the Saudi royal family, but U.S. prosecutors say it came from 1MDB, of which Najib was the top official.
Trump OKs aid to offset duties
President Donald Trump has authorized the Agriculture Department to launch the second and final round of $11 billion in trade mitigation payments to farmers hard hit by tariffs.
In a tweet on Monday, Trump said he is fulfilling a promise to protect farmers against “unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations.”
The Trump administration in July announced it would provide up to $12 billion to offset losses from Trump’s trade disputes with China and other countries.
The first round of checks went out in September.
In total, producers of almonds, corn, cotton, dairy, hogs, sorghum, soybeans, fresh sweet cherries and wheat will receive roughly $9.5 billion. Soybean farmers will get the largest share.
Roughly $1.2 billion is earmarked for a food purchase and distribution program and $200 million to promote trade.