Amazon workers at a distribution center in Coventry are set to go on strike later this month – the first strike by workers at the e-commerce giant in the UK.
Hundreds of warehouse workers will leave the warehouse on Wednesday 25 January after the company’s offer of a 50p an hour wage increase was rejected. The union said additional dates would be announced in the coming weeks.
In a vote that ended on Friday, December 16, 2022, more than 98 percent of workers voted in favor of the strike.
Amanda Gearing, chief organizer of the GMB, said: “The Amazon workers in Coventry will make history on January 25th by being the first Amazon workers in the UK to go on strike.
“They have shown that they are willing to risk themselves to fight for good.
“But people who work for one of the most valuable companies in the world don’t need to be threatened with a strike just to get a living wage.
“GMB is urging Amazon UK bosses to pay workers decent bonuses and avoid strikes altogether.”
opposing I Last year, a logistics center worker said he was “disgusted” by the company’s meager offer of a pay rise.
He said: “We are now £10.50, so the extra 50p is nothing. We were outraged. When I complained to management and reminded them that while we were working for them during Covid, Amazon shares skyrocketed, they replied that I should have bought the shares myself.
“All we ask is decent pay for a hard day’s work.
“Why do we workers always have to suffer? Why should we tighten our belts during the energy crisis while Bezos takes his friends on a day trip to space? Why?”
An Amazon spokesman said at the time that the company “offers competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits and great career opportunities while operating in a safe and modern environment.”
They added: “Wages start at a minimum of £10.50 to £11.45 an hour, depending on your location. This represents a 29 percent increase in the minimum hourly wage for Amazon employees since 2018.”
The source insisted that there would be no disruption for Amazon customers as the facility does not fulfill customer orders directly. The warehouse is used for storage and not for dispatching customer orders from there.
It is understood that Amazon expects the normal operation of the UK distribution network to continue.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We appreciate the excellent work our teams put in throughout the year and are proud to offer competitive wages from a minimum of £10.50 to £11.45 per hour, depending on location. This represents a 29 percent increase in the minimum hourly wage for Amazon employees since 2018.
“In addition, extensive benefits are offered to employees on thousands of others, including private health insurance, life insurance, food subsidies, and employee discounts, just to name a few.”
Source: I News
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