Workers at Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN, ETR:AMZ)’s Coventry and Birmingham-based fulfilment centres will down tools in the coming weeks in the latest round of strikes to hit the e-commerce giant’s UK operations.
Strike action will take place in Coventry on March 19-20 and 27 in Birmingham on March 27-28.
Workers at the Birmingham centre, which only opened its doors last October, first warned of potential industrial action in December.
GMB organiser Rachel Fagan commented: “Fresh strike action will be a huge blow to Amazon bosses, just days after workers made their bid for union recognition.
“Now two Amazon sites will take strike action this spring to force the company to listen to workers.
“Amazon bosses may have hoped this campaign would fade away, but instead union membership at Amazon has exploded as more and more workers are standing up to demand Amazon listens.
“When Amazon are ready to listen, the message they'll hear is simple; £15 an hour and union rights for UK Amazon workers”.
An Amazon spokesperson told Proactive: "We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits. By April, our minimum starting pay will have increased to £12.30 and £13 per hour depending on location, that’s a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018.
"We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities. These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it’s their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.”