Amazon workers are set to demonstrate outside the online retail giant’s Swindon depot to show support for colleagues involved in a pay dispute.
The GMB trade union said more than 1,000 Amazon workers have staged a walk out at the firm’s warehouse in Coventry, starting on Tuesday (November 7) and lasting until Thursday (November 9), with plans for a further strike on Black Friday (November 24) - one of the busiest shopping days of the year. GMB said that some of the striking workers in Coventry would join the demo in Swindon to speak to colleagues there about mobilisation and how to plan strike action.
David McMullen, GMB organiser, said: “Amazon workers in Coventry have made history by being the first in the UK to stand up to Jeff Bezos by taking action. But it’s not just in the Midlands where members are being underpaid and we aim to highlight this in Swindon this Wednesday.
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“Amazon bosses would do well to pay attention to our members’ concerns, or this strike action will be repeated up and down the country.” The union has criticised a pay offer it said was worth £1 an hour.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern, work environment. At Amazon, these benefits and opportunities come with the job, as does the ability to communicate directly with the leadership of the company.”
The company added that its minimum starting pay is between £11.80 and £12.50 an hour depending on location for all full-time, part-time and seasonal roles and from April 2024, minimum starting pay will increase to between £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location. The increases represent a £170m investment in pay and mean Amazon’s minimum starting pay will have risen by 20% in two years, and 50% since 2018, the business said.
