[ad_1]
CNN
–
Amazon warehouse workers at a facility in the United Kingdom plan to go on strike, their union confirmed to CNN on Friday, in what is being billed as a first for the company’s workers in the country.
The GMB union, which represents workers across a range of industries in the UK, said hundreds of Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry were on strike. Voted for a strike, which is expected to take place in the new year.
Labor action is caused by workers According to the union, there is dissatisfaction over Amazon’s proposed salary increase. Rising inflation in the UK has forced households to cope with skyrocketing food and energy costs.
“Amazon workers in Coventry have made history – they will be the first in the UK to take part in a formal strike,” GMB senior organizer Amanda Gearing said in a statement to CNN on Friday. “The fact that they are being forced to go on strike to get fair wages from one of the world’s most valuable companies should be a badge of shame for Amazon.”
“Amazon can afford to do better,” Gearing said, adding that “it’s not too late to avoid strike action,” and urging Amazon to come to the bargaining table to “improve workers’ pay and conditions.”
In a statement to CNN on Friday, a UK Amazon spokesperson spoke about the company’s pay and benefits. “We appreciate the great work done by our teams throughout the year and are proud to offer a competitive salary starting at a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 an hour, depending on location.”
“This represents a 29 percent increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon employees since 2018,” the statement added. “On top of this, we are delighted to announce that full-time, part-time and seasonal frontline staff will receive an additional one-time special payment of up to £500 as an extra thank you.”
The move by Amazon workers in the UK also comes as Amazon workers in the United States continue to organize and push for collective bargaining rights.
Amazon workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, made history earlier this year when they voted to form the first-ever labor union at one of the company’s US facilities. Despite the landmark victory for a worker group known as the Amazon Labor Union, the company has yet to formally recognize the union or come to the bargaining table.
Amazon CEO Andy Jesse suggested in comments last month that the company’s legal battle with the union is “far from over,” even as the National Labor Relations Board suggests the union is on the verge of becoming certified.
Other recent attempts to unionize Amazon warehouses in the United States have come up short.
[ad_2]
Source link
