For the first time in history, Amazon workers in Britain are striking, noting that given the massive inflation the UK has seen, their salaries are not enough to get by on, and complaining that their working conditions are “severe.”
The GMB Union, which represents workers at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse reported that members voted to engage in a first-ever, “historic” industrial action in response to an offer last month from Amazon to give workers a 50-pence (62 cents) per hour raise. Calling it a “derisory” pay raise, workers rejected it, instead demanding their salaries simply be raised to £15 ($18.48) per hour.
GMB said it estimates that roughly 300 workers out of the 1,000 at the facility took part in the 24 hour walkout, which began on Wednesday.
In a statement, GMB senior organizer Stuart Richards said, “After six months of ignoring all requests to listen to workers’ concerns, GMB urges Amazon UK bosses to do the right thing and give workers a proper pay rise.”
Amazon had offered to raise employee salaries last August, to a level of between £10.50 and £11.45 per hour, however workers called the offer a, “smack in the mouth,” considering the company’s massive profits, and the degree to which inflation was affecting workers.
Darren Westwood, a company warehouse worker, said to the media, “These people had worked two years through the pandemic, that had seen Amazon’s shares go through the roof, they had seen the profits just become unimaginable.”
In addition the workers are complaining about long working hours, frequent injuries, the non-stop pace of their jobs, and an intrusive, technology-based monitoring of employees by management. They are demanding management provide them with better working conditions.
Westwood said, “Someone the other day said we’re treated like robots – no, robots are treated better.”
In a statement in response to the situation, Amazon noted the strikers are, “only a fraction of 1 percent of our UK employees.”
The drama is occurring in the midst of layoffs by the tech giant which will see 18,000 employees lose their jobs across the world. The move is an attempt to reduce costs in the face of falling revenues as online sales drop dramatically following a temporary surge in post-pandemic shopping.
In addition, the company delayed the opening of new warehouses, ceased new hiring in its recruiting division, and closed three depots in Britain, releasing 1,200 employees in the process.
