Hundreds of Amazon workers in Britain to walk out amid pay dispute

business
Hundreds Of Amazon Workers In Britain To Walk Out Amid Pay Dispute
GMB union members at the Coventry fulfilment centre will stage a three-day walkout from Sunday. Photo: PA Images
Share this article

Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent

Hundreds of workers at online giant Amazon in the UK will launch a strike this weekend in a long-running dispute over pay.

Members of the GMB union at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre will walk out on Sunday for three days.

Advertisement

Further strikes are planned from April 21st to 23rd.

Amanda Gearing, GMB senior organiser, said: “GMB members are worth more; they will not accept a pay rise of pennies from one of the world’s wealthiest corporations.

“With strike action in Coventry escalating and ballots under way in five further Amazon depots, this could fast become a summer of strike chaos at Amazon.

Advertisement
Industrial action at Amazon centre
Picket lines outside the Amazon fulfilment centre in Coventry earlier this year (Phil Barnett/PA)

“Three months ago Amazon told our members there was no money left for pay rises, yet through pressure, campaigning and strike action we’ve forced Amazon to sit up and take notice.

“With workers at other Amazon sites now also balloting for industrial action, it’s clear Amazon needs to urgently get serious and talk pay with GMB now.”

Amazon said the minimum starting pay for its employees has increased to between £11 and £12 an hour, depending on location.

Advertisement

A statement said: “Over the past seven months, our minimum starting pay has risen by 10 per cent, and by more than 37 per cent since 2018.

“We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities.

“These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it’s their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.”

Read More

Message submitting... Thank you for waiting.

Want us to email you top stories each lunch time?

Download our Apps
© BreakingNews.ie 2024, developed by Square1 and powered by PublisherPlus.com