Amazon workers are staging their first strike in the UK today over wage increases.
About 300 workers left the company’s Coventry warehouse, union GMB said, adding that they had “nothing to lose”.
Here’s everything you need to know about the strike and how Amazon has reacted.
Why are Amazon workers on strike?
According to the GMB, the workers are on strike to protest the 5% wage increase, which is 50p an hour.
This comes amid a cost-of-living crisis that has sent inflation past 10 percent, meaning workers are facing real pay cuts.
GMB chief organiser, Stuart Richards, said workers are “participating in one of the largest companies in the world to fight for a decent standard of living” and “should be rightfully proud of themselves.”
Amazon employee Garfield Hilton told BBC News that employees may even be interrogated when they go to the bathroom.
“The problem with leaving a job is they want to know why,” he said. “So if the time is over a few minutes, they can see it on the system. Then they will ask you, “What did you do?”
Amanda Gearing, GMB’s senior organizer, said of the picket line in Coventry: “We’re here today because the Amazon workers said they’ve had enough.”
Employees who have worked under difficult conditions during the pandemic are “just trying to get a decent wage,” she said.
She added that Amazon “just wears them out, gets rid of them, replaces them.”
“After all this, they just offered a 50p wage increase due to the biggest cost-of-living crisis in decades,” she said.
“I think when workers have nothing to lose, you see them fight.”
Ms Gearing said the main issue for staff is what she calls performance targets, which are determined by an “algorithm”.
“So imagine you show up to work and don’t know if you will get that grade,” she said.
“If you don’t, you will be disciplined, so they just have to work, work, work. You can’t talk to people, it’s hard to go to the toilet.”
“In one of the other fulfillment centers, we had people who peed in a bottle because they didn’t want to take the time to go to the toilet because it was time to do nothing.
“We have casualties, more ambulances arrive at the site than any other camp in the country, they have a terrible track record when it comes to health and safety.
“I think we are lucky that there have been no deaths in these centers so far.”
What did Amazon say?
Amazon played down the impact of the strike and defended its wage offer. The company said it has a system “that recognizes great accomplishments.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “A small part of our workforce is involved.
“In fact, according to verified data, only a fraction of the 1% of our British workers voted, including those who voted against the strike.
“We appreciate the excellent work our teams have done throughout the year and are proud to offer competitive wages ranging from £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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