[UK] GMB calls for £15 minimum pay at Amazon warehouses

In the UK, The GMB union has submitted formal pay claims to Amazon looking for minimum hourly pay of £15 for workers at its warehouses. Unofficial protests are ongoing, The Guardian reports.

Hundreds of workers in warehouses across the nation, including Tilbury in Essex, Belvedere in south-east London, Dartford in Kent, Coventry, Avonmouth, near Bristol and Rugeley in Staffordshire, stopped work last week after Amazon offered workers a 35p an hour pay rise; equivalent to about 3 per cent compared with the June inflation rate of 9.4 per cent.

The Guardian understands that walkouts from shifts, sit-ins at canteens and “go-slow” protests have continued at a smaller scale this week as workers continued to pursue a better offer from Amazon. Further coordinated action by workers was expected from midnight on Tuesday around the country.

Staff at the Tilbury location where the unofficial industrial action began currently receive a minimum of £11.10 an hour and had been calling for an increase of £2.

Amazon said that staff nationally were being offered a 35p rise to £10.50 or £11.45 an hour depending on location. The retail giant defended its “competitive” pay package.

The GMB is not officially recognised by Amazon but has members in its warehouses. It is calling for talks facilitated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

Amazon has only held meetings with small groups of staff so far, which it has reportedly said was in order to ensure that “all workers’ voices can be heard”.

A letter from the union to Amazon, seen by the Guardian, says, “In order to retain staff, Amazon now needs to reward [them] with a decent pay award.”

Regional claims have been submitted in Coventry, the West Midlands and in London alongside a national claim.

Andy Prendergast - GMB national secretary - said, “Amazon workers deserve a decent pay rise. They are the backbone of the company – one of the most profitable on Earth.

“When the high street was shut down through Covid, Amazon continued to make money. The least it can do is share those profits with their workers.”

Amazon said the planned pay rise would represent a 29 per cent increase in the minimum hourly wage for warehouse workers since 2018.

It said, “On top of this, employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals, an employee discount and more, which combined are worth thousands of pounds annually, as well as a company pension plan.”

Source: The Guardian

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, The GMB union has submitted formal pay claims to Amazon looking for minimum hourly pay of £15 for workers at its warehouses. Unofficial protests are ongoing, The Guardian reports.

Hundreds of workers in warehouses across the nation, including Tilbury in Essex, Belvedere in south-east London, Dartford in Kent, Coventry, Avonmouth, near Bristol and Rugeley in Staffordshire, stopped work last week after Amazon offered workers a 35p an hour pay rise; equivalent to about 3 per cent compared with the June inflation rate of 9.4 per cent.

The Guardian understands that walkouts from shifts, sit-ins at canteens and “go-slow” protests have continued at a smaller scale this week as workers continued to pursue a better offer from Amazon. Further coordinated action by workers was expected from midnight on Tuesday around the country.

Staff at the Tilbury location where the unofficial industrial action began currently receive a minimum of £11.10 an hour and had been calling for an increase of £2.

Amazon said that staff nationally were being offered a 35p rise to £10.50 or £11.45 an hour depending on location. The retail giant defended its “competitive” pay package.

The GMB is not officially recognised by Amazon but has members in its warehouses. It is calling for talks facilitated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

Amazon has only held meetings with small groups of staff so far, which it has reportedly said was in order to ensure that “all workers’ voices can be heard”.

A letter from the union to Amazon, seen by the Guardian, says, “In order to retain staff, Amazon now needs to reward [them] with a decent pay award.”

Regional claims have been submitted in Coventry, the West Midlands and in London alongside a national claim.

Andy Prendergast - GMB national secretary - said, “Amazon workers deserve a decent pay rise. They are the backbone of the company – one of the most profitable on Earth.

“When the high street was shut down through Covid, Amazon continued to make money. The least it can do is share those profits with their workers.”

Amazon said the planned pay rise would represent a 29 per cent increase in the minimum hourly wage for warehouse workers since 2018.

It said, “On top of this, employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals, an employee discount and more, which combined are worth thousands of pounds annually, as well as a company pension plan.”

Source: The Guardian

(Quotes via original reporting)