Employees at Amazon's UK warehouses have rejected a proposed 50 pence an hour increase in the company's minimum hourly wage to £11 (about $13). With widespread disapproval from staff and calling the pay raise an "insult," thus further demonstrations are likely to occur.
Large-Scale Disapproval
In a report by The Guardian, the firm announced a raise in wages on Wednesday, Mar. 22, effective this coming weekend. The increase brings the company's starting rate for workers aged 23 and older to £10.42 per hour, more than the legal minimum wage.
But Amanda Gearing, a senior organizer for the GMB union, said, "We're listening to Amazon workers and the message is very clear: this new pay rate is an insult." She added, "We will be consulting over the next few days and announcing a new wave of action."
Notably, the GMB union has supported employees at Amazon's Coventry warehouse in the first-ever walkout in the UK. Since last year, the GMB union at the Coventry site has grown from a handful of members to over 500.
Meanwhile, Amazon worker Darren Westwood said that nobody feels the extra 50 pence an hour they were offered at Coventry is remotely sufficient to get by. More workers at other Amazon facilities are being encouraged to join in on the strikes as they know they are "worth more."
Alleviating Tension
Amazon, which operates more than 30 warehouses in the UK, has announced a salary raise for its UK operations staff, saying, "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."
It stated that in addition to a 37% wage raise since 2018, the company has worked hard to give employees great benefits, a positive work environment, and excellent career opportunities.
As per The Guardian, there was even a one-time Christmas bonus of up to £500 (about $600) for all employees, including seasonal and part-time workers.
Labor Dispute
Fulfillment center employees in Coventry have been on strike for a total of eight days since January, including five days this past week. This is all because of a salary raise of just 50 pence per hour that Amazon implemented in August of last year.
On Jan. 25, the workers took part in the first strike by the company's employees in the UK. They have complained about the excessive micromanagement and the long hours that they are required to work.
As part of a nationwide struggle for labor, some UK supermarkets and other shops have increased hourly pay to over £11 in response.
Meanwhile, Amazon has shown indications of slowing, with the announcement in January that it will be closing three UK warehouses and seven delivery sites. Moreover, it has been reported that thousands of positions would be eliminated throughout the company's global operations in categories including brick-and-mortar sales, advertising, live streaming, and cloud computing.
