Amazon workers in Coventry announce six more strike dates

Amazon workers in Coventry are to take a further six days of industrial action in a continuing dispute over pay and union recognition.

The strikes, which will take place on 16-18 April and 21-23 April, follow “historic” action in January this year.

The GMB union has called for a pay rise for workers at Amazon warehouses from £10.50 to £15 an hour.

Amazon does not voluntarily recognise or negotiate with unions. According to GMB, it announced a pay rise for all its UK staff in March 2023 of between 1.8-2.5%, but this was rejected as “an insult”.

The dispute began in the summer of 2022, escalating from informal to formal action after staff were told they’d receive a pay rise of 50p an hour. Staff said they had not been given sufficient recognition for their pandemic work and cited the cost of living and a “stressful” culture of targets to explain their decision to stop work.

Amanda Gearing, the Senior GMB Organiser involved, said: “Industrial action is growing and this could fast become a summer of strike chaos for Amazon.

“Six further days of strike action in Coventry is a clear statement from our members they are worth more; they will not accept a pay rise of pennies from one of the world’s wealthiest corporations.”

Industrial action is growing and this could fast become a summer of strike chaos for Amazon

– Senior GMB Organiser

She called on the company to “urgently get serious and talk pay with GMB now”.

In the previous strikes, fewer than 300 staff were involved. It is expected that more than 560 workers will join in the latest industrial action, and the union claims that it has attracted hundreds of new members in Coventry and other local Amazon sites since the dispute began.

It is asking members at five other Midlands sites to vote on whether they would also be willing to take part in industrial action.

The union also states it is close to the 50% membership threshold that would allow it to apply for statutory recognition, which would force Amazon to recognise it.

A spokesperson for Amazon said: “We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages, and we’re pleased to be announcing another increase for our UK teams.

“Over the past seven months, our minimum starting pay has risen by 10%, and by more than 37% since 2018. We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities.”

The spokesperson also noted that the Coventry dispute involves less than 1% of its total UK workforce.