UK Amazon workers vote to strike
It's the first successful Amazon strike vote in the UK
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry have voted to go on strike in the new year in a dispute over pay.
The employees are complaining that a 50p-per-hour pay increase that Amazon implemented in the summer fails to match the growing cost of living, with inflation still in double-digits.
They want a minimum hourly wage of £15 from the company, not the £10.50 they currently receive.
Workers at the facility staged an unofficial stoppage when Amazon raised their pay by 50p an hour in the summer, equivalent to a 3% increase.
On Friday the GMB union said more than 98% of its members at the site voted in favour of strikes, with over 63% of workers participating in the poll. This was the second such vote GMB held, as the first failed to meet the required 50% employee turnout.
Amazon provided Computing with specific details around numbers. Of the 1,400 people employed at the site, 284 are GMB members, and 181 took part in the vote, of which 178 voted 'yes' and three voted 'no'.
The union has said industrial action will likely take place in the new year.
Amanda Gearing, a senior organiser for GMB, said the employees had "made history" by being the first members of the Amazon warehouse staff in the UK to ever participate in a formal strike.
"The fact that they are being forced to go on strike to win a decent rate of pay from one of the world's most valuable companies should be a badge of shame for Amazon," she added.
"Amazon can afford to do better. It's not too late to avoid strike action; get round the table with GMB to improve the pay and conditions of workers."
Amazon has previously claimed to provide 'competitive pay' and 'comprehensive benefits' for its employees.
The company has long been attacked for its labour practises. Workers have accused Amazon of providing poor working conditions in its distribution centres and warehouses.
In April, employees at a facility in Staten Island, New York, voted to establish the first Amazon warehouse workers' union in the United States.
"We appreciate the great work our teams do throughout the year and we're proud to offer competitive pay, which starts at a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 an hour, depending on location," an Amazon spokesperson said.
"This represents a 29% increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon employees since 2018."
They added that workers will also receive a one-time payment of £500 as "an extra thank you".
The company does not believe the strike at the facility will have an effect on consumers, as the plant does not operate as a fulfilment centre or send packages.
GMB, though, is optimistic about making a substantial disturbance - which is, of course, the point.
The strike is just the latest to face the UK, where workers in many industries are choosing to withhold their labour as the cost of living skyrockets. Just this month, employees in transportation and healthcare have been striking for higher wages.
Consumer prices are at a 41-year high as a result of rising energy prices and supply chain disruptions.
On Thursday, the Bank of England raised interest rates in an attempt to contain inflation.