Amazon refuses to shut Coventry warehouse after TB outbreak despite union demands

The GMB union has demanded the temporary closure of Amazon’s Coventry warehouse, after the online retailing giant confirmed that a tuberculosis  (TB) outbreak had hit the branch in September.

Amazon confirmed on 16 January that their warehouse in Coventry, which employs around 3,000 people, was hit with an outbreak of the infectious disease last year.

In response, the GMB union has demanded the temporary closure of the branch in order for workers to access thorough medical treatment, on full pay.

The trillion-dollar company declared in a statement that 10 workers had tested positive for non-contagious tuberculosis in September last year

Representatives also said the closure would help to prevent further spread of the disease.

The trillion-dollar company declared in a statement that 10 workers had tested positive for non-contagious tuberculosis in September last year. The statement – issued some four months after the outbreak – was the first time the retailer had addressed the incident.

Amazon claimed that they had taken all necessary precautions, including bringing in the NHS to carry out advanced blood tests and checking individuals who had contact with infected workers.

However, the GMB’s Senior Organiser, Amanda Gearing, said that the warehouse risked “becoming the engine room of a mass TB outbreak of a scale not seen for decades” if Amazon continues to refuse to shut down the branch.

Amazon seems unable to avoid being wrapped up in a welfare issue of some sort, with its history of union busting, gruelling work conditions, and ignoring the risks of injury at their warehouses.

Amazon continues to stand firm on the fact that all operations are able to run as usual, and that the situation is entirely under control with no need for closure

With this recent occurrence, they are once again facing accusations of mistreating their workers, with Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana commenting that Amazon deals with “its employees as if they’re disposable”.

While the workers were diagnosed with latent TB, this could develop into active TB, which increases the risk of the disease being transmitted to other workers or the wider public.

Amazon continues to stand firm on the fact that all operations are able to run as usual, and that the situation is entirely under control with no need for closure.

However, the GMB union has maintained their criticism of the mega-company’s failure to protect its employees from harm.

The two sides remain at a standstill, and for the time being it seems unlikely that either will back down.