Consultation period starts 1 December following government talks

According to RTL sources, the number of jobs under threat from the restructuring underway at the internet giant could reach up to 470 in Luxembourg, out of nearly 4,400 people working for Amazon in this country.

Amazon Luxembourg declined to confirm these figures when asked by RTL.

On 28 November, the e-commerce platform issued a statement confirming it had held constructive meetings with government authorities, exchanging information on the company's proposed organisational changes in Luxembourg.

The consultation process will be formally launched on Monday 1 December with employee representatives.

"These discussions reinforce our commitment to constructive dialogue that prioritises our employees and supports our teams through this transition", Amazon Luxembourg wrote.

'A tsunami' for Luxembourg, says the OGBL

Isabelle Scott from the OGBL trade union told RTL: "If these 470 job losses are confirmed, it would be a real tsunami for Luxembourg. Layoffs on this scale have not been seen for a long time."

The deputy general secretary of the union was unable to confirm how many jobs would be affected

Amazon founded its European headquarters in the Grand Duchy over 20 years ago and has invested €11 billion there since 2010.

But today the ecommerce giant has launched a costcutting process, with some 14,000 jobs at risk across the globe, mainly in administrative services. Amazon believes it is necessary to reduce its costs and offset the recruitment drive made during the coronavirus pandemic. The use of artificial intelligence is cited as a potential reason behind the downsizing.

Last week, Prime Minister Luc Frieden met with Amazon management in Seattle, where he was assured that Luxembourg held strategic importance for the company.

Today Amazon employs around 1.5 million people across the globe, two-thirds of whom work in the US.