Over 1,000 Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry, central England, have announced a four-day strike that includes the crucial Black Friday shopping day, marking the latest escalation in a contentious dispute over pay.
Amazon UK Workers Strike on Black Friday
The GMB trade union disclosed this move on Tuesday, underscoring the growing tension between the e-commerce giant and its workforce.
Reuters reports that the strike, scheduled to take place from November 7th to 9th, will coincide with Black Friday, a day when online retailers typically witness a surge in orders.
This announcement comes amid an ongoing dispute between Amazon and its employees in the UK over wages, which has already led to several walkouts earlier this year.
Amazon Responds
In response to the strike announcement, Amazon reiterated its stance of offering competitive wages and benefits. The company is also taking steps to boost its workforce before the holiday season.
CNBC reports that it plans to increase the base pay for its operations workers in the UK to a range between £11.80 ($14.39) and £12.50 per hour, dependent on location.
This pay increase will be effective from October 15th. Additionally, Amazon has committed to further wage increases, with rates set to rise to £12.30 to £13 per hour by April 2024.
The pay hike is not limited to full-time positions but extends to part-time, temporary, and seasonal roles, emphasizing Amazon's efforts to address worker concerns about pay disparities.
The company has also announced the recruitment of over 15,000 seasonal workers across various UK locations, representing a substantial £170 million investment in pay.
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Union Sentiments
However, the GMB Union remains unsatisfied with Amazon's response. The union criticized the pay increase as insufficient, asserting that it provides little relief to workers grappling with what they perceive as poverty wages, unsafe working conditions, and intrusive workplace surveillance.
"Amazon has spent millions fighting their own workers over union rights and fair pay," Rachel Fagan, a GMB organizer, stated on Monday. "GMB members have forced a pay rise from one of the world's most powerful corporations - but Amazon can and must do better."
In January, workers at Amazon's Coventry fulfillment centers orchestrated the first legally mandated walkout by Amazon employees in the UK.
Working with the GMB Union, they also submitted an application for legal recognition as a union, a milestone that would have marked a first for the company in the UK.
The push for unionization is not limited to the UK. In the US, a group of workers at a Staten Island facility became the first to vote in favor of unionizing.
Amazon, however, has resisted these efforts, and the global wave of unionization anticipated by many has not yet materialized.
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