Amazon employees show solidarity during a protest in Rome in February 2018. Drivers in Milan said they will strike on Tuesday over labor conditions. File Photo by Alessandro di Meo/EPA EFE

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Delivery drivers working for Amazon in the Italian region of Lombardy, an area including 10 million people, will interrupt work on Tuesday over work conditions.

Drivers plan to stop deliveries in Lombardy and demonstrate under the office building of the company headquarters in Milan, il Corriere della Sera reported Monday.


A strike organizer told the newspaper the demonstration, to take place in the April XXV square in Milan, will be attended by Cgil transportation workers union leader Maurizio Landini, the paper said.

Amazon drivers in Milan, generally regarded as the financial center of Italy and one of the world's fashion hot spots, claim to receive loads that are about twice that a driver would normally handle. The company has seen an increase in market share but the number of workers has not increased accordingly, worker unions have said.

The Italian transportation unions Filt Cgil-Fit Cisi-Uil asked Amazon for "a responsible intervention." The workers said many new hires last year were sent home after Christmas.

This is not the first time Amazon has seen labor-related problems in Europe. In November, thousands of Amazon workers walked out in Germany, Spain, Italy and Britain seeking better working conditions, particularly during periods of high volume. Amazon workers in Rome protested a year ago over electronic wristbands.

Amazon is investing to become more automated and to advance delivery technologies.

Amazon said in October it has 5,500 highly skilled researchers and engineers working in Europe -- including scientists, robotics engineers, solution architects, software, hardware and aerospace engineers.

Founder Jeff Bezos said years ago it wouldn't be long before Amazon packages are delivered by drones.