Amazon workers at UK warehouses strike again over pay, union recognition

About 1,400 workers at the Amazon warehouse AMZN In Coventry, central England, which went on strike on Tuesday, the GMB union said it planned to do so again on Wednesday as part of a long-running dispute over pay and union recognition.

Britain has seen major industrial unrest in the past two years as workers demand better pay rises to offset high inflation. Amazon employs 75,000 people in the UK, making the US retail giant one of the UK's top ten private sector employers.

Amazon's preference is to resolve issues directly with employees rather than through unions.

The latest strike in Coventry comes a week after GMB members at the Amazon site applied to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) for compulsory union recognition.

If the CAC, an independent body with statutory powers, decides more than half of Amazon's workers in Coventry are members of the GMB union, Amazon will have to formally recognize the union – a first for the company in Europe.

If the CAC decides that the union has more than 40% but less than 50% of employees, a referendum will be held to recognize the union.

Workers at the Coventry unit went on strike for the first time in January last year (link).

The company is feeling pressure from union efforts around the world. In 2022, workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City voted to form the company's first union.

Workers walked out of the US retailer's Coventry facility between 06:30 GMT and 08:30 GMT and will unload tools again between 17:30 GMT and 19:30 GMT – with a planned walkout at the same time on Wednesday. Amazon Birmingham office workers plan to strike on March 27 and 28

Regarding salaries, an Amazon spokesperson said the company “continually reviews salaries to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits.”

Its minimum starting wage will rise to £12.30 ($15.58) in April and £13 an hour depending on location – a rise of 20% over two years and 50% from 2018, the spokesman said.

($1 = 0.7893 pounds)