Black Friday Shouldn’t Mean a Black Day for Workers
Every year, Black Friday arrives with the same fanfare: massive sales, countless deals, and a surge in temporary hiring. But beneath the surface of this consumer frenzy lies a troubling reality – job insecurity.
Yes, Black Friday creates jobs in Castilla-La Mancha. However, we must urgently discuss what kind of jobs are being created, under what conditions, and at whose expense. We can’t keep celebrating numbers that conceal precarious contracts,hidden part-time hours,unpaid overtime,and work paces that jeopardize the health and safety of the people handling every package,in every warehouse,and in every store.
From FeSMC-UGT castilla La Mancha, we’re making it clear: We won’t allow Black Friday to remain a Black Workday for thousands of workers.
As a union representing workers in commerce, hospitality, logistics, security, and services, we’ve warned about this trend for years. Much of the employment generated during these campaigns relies on temporary contracts and the increasing use of temporary employment agencies. This creates a labor market defined by constant turnover, lacking stability and genuine opportunities for those who drive the business.
We cannot continue applauding figures that hide precarious contracts, hidden part-time hours, unpaid overtime or work rhythms that put at risk the health and safety of those behind each package, in each warehouse, in each store.
Record sales, full stores, and bustling logistics aren’t thanks to flashy advertisements. They’re thanks to the often-superhuman effort of the workers on the front lines.
While storefronts promise irresistible prices,the reality for workers is frequently enough different. Black Friday frequently means insufficient staffing to manage peak activity, temporary contracts as fleeting as the advertising campaigns themselves, unpredictable shifts that disregard work-life balance, and pressure to meet unrealistic demands.
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