[UK] Amazon workers plan further strikes after branding pay rise “an insult”

In the UK, Amazon workers are planning further strike action after dismissing as “an insult” a 50p per hour increase to the minimum hourly pay for warehouse workers, taking it to £11, The Guardian reports.

Amazon said the pay rise announced on March 22 and implemented last weekend meant minimum pay had risen by 10 per cent in the past seven months. Taking the pay rate above the legal minimum wage for those aged 23 or over, which will be £10.42 an hour from April.

Amanda Gearing - a senior organiser for the GMB union, which backed workers at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse in the first-ever strikes by its UK workers - told The Guardian, “We’re listening to Amazon workers and the message is very clear: this new pay rate is an insult.

“So, in response we will be consulting over the next few days and announcing a new wave of action.”

Darren Westwood - an Amazon worker - said, “Nobody believes that the extra 50p an hour we’ve won at Coventry is remotely enough to live on.

“We know we’re worth more – that’s why we will be stepping up the action and appealing to workers in other Amazon sites to join us in the strikes.”

Amazon has more than 30 warehouses in the UK. In a statement, it said, “We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages, and we’re pleased to be announcing another increase for our UK operations teams.”

The company added that workers’ pay had risen by 37 per cent since 2018 and said it also “worked hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities”.

Employees - including seasonal and part-time staff - also reportedly received a one-off payment of up to £500 at Christmas.

Amazon increased pay by about 50p an hour in August 2022 but the unexpectedly low rate of the increase prompted workers at its Coventry fulfilment centre to take action; striking for eight days since January, including five days earlier this month.

On January 25, the workers became the first ever employees of the online retail giant in the UK to take strike action. They asked for higher pay and also complained about overbearing management practices and long hours.

Currently, the GMB union has more than 500 members at the Coventry site, from only a few dozen last year.

The ongoing recruitment battle in the UK has led to several supermarkets and other retailers raising pay to more than £11 an hour.

A fortnight ago Aldi announced its fourth pay rise in just over a year, promising £11.40 an hour from July. From April Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Aldi will all pay £11 an hour or more.

However, there have been signs of a slowdown at Amazon. In January the company revealed plans to close three UK warehouses and seven delivery stations, affecting more than 1,300 jobs.

The group has reportedly announced plans to cut 27,000 jobs globally, in areas such as physical retail, advertising, live streaming and cloud services.

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, Amazon workers are planning further strike action after dismissing as “an insult” a 50p per hour increase to the minimum hourly pay for warehouse workers, taking it to £11, The Guardian reports.

Amazon said the pay rise announced on March 22 and implemented last weekend meant minimum pay had risen by 10 per cent in the past seven months. Taking the pay rate above the legal minimum wage for those aged 23 or over, which will be £10.42 an hour from April.

Amanda Gearing - a senior organiser for the GMB union, which backed workers at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse in the first-ever strikes by its UK workers - told The Guardian, “We’re listening to Amazon workers and the message is very clear: this new pay rate is an insult.

“So, in response we will be consulting over the next few days and announcing a new wave of action.”

Darren Westwood - an Amazon worker - said, “Nobody believes that the extra 50p an hour we’ve won at Coventry is remotely enough to live on.

“We know we’re worth more – that’s why we will be stepping up the action and appealing to workers in other Amazon sites to join us in the strikes.”

Amazon has more than 30 warehouses in the UK. In a statement, it said, “We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages, and we’re pleased to be announcing another increase for our UK operations teams.”

The company added that workers’ pay had risen by 37 per cent since 2018 and said it also “worked hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities”.

Employees - including seasonal and part-time staff - also reportedly received a one-off payment of up to £500 at Christmas.

Amazon increased pay by about 50p an hour in August 2022 but the unexpectedly low rate of the increase prompted workers at its Coventry fulfilment centre to take action; striking for eight days since January, including five days earlier this month.

On January 25, the workers became the first ever employees of the online retail giant in the UK to take strike action. They asked for higher pay and also complained about overbearing management practices and long hours.

Currently, the GMB union has more than 500 members at the Coventry site, from only a few dozen last year.

The ongoing recruitment battle in the UK has led to several supermarkets and other retailers raising pay to more than £11 an hour.

A fortnight ago Aldi announced its fourth pay rise in just over a year, promising £11.40 an hour from July. From April Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Aldi will all pay £11 an hour or more.

However, there have been signs of a slowdown at Amazon. In January the company revealed plans to close three UK warehouses and seven delivery stations, affecting more than 1,300 jobs.

The group has reportedly announced plans to cut 27,000 jobs globally, in areas such as physical retail, advertising, live streaming and cloud services.

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)