Amazon workers at the UK site in Coventry have gone on strike to make their voices heard over pay, working conditions and the recognition of union rights.
Protests are increasing against the online sales giant.
” I am not a robot “
Since Tuesday, the Coventry Amazon site has been at the heart of the news. Members of the GMB union, one of the largest mainstream groups in the UK, have gone on strike. The picket is scheduled to last from July 11 to 13 in front of the gigantic BHX4 warehouse and brings together nearly 900 strikers. According to the union, workers are paid £10.50 an hour, just slightly more than the statutory minimum £10.42 for workers over 23.
The strikers are demanding an increase bringing the hourly rate to £15. They also depict an overwhelming work environment, made even more complicated by the explosion in the number of orders during the pandemic. If the union is acting now, it is because we are in the middle of Prime Day, a period of sales organized by Amazon which could bring in up to 2 billion pounds sterling:
” This strike action will have a huge impact on Amazon’s Prime operation. It goes to show that even Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, is nothing without its employees. It is ludicrous that in this context they are denying precarious workers here in the UK the right to have the bills to pay. You can’t get cheap human beings said Rachel Fagan, regional manager of the GMB.
For its part, Amazon said the strike would not cause any disruption, and that the company offers competitive wages, benefits and growth opportunities in a safe and modern environment. GMB therefore thinks of causing a shortfall for Amazon and highlighting the importance of better paying employees.
However, GMB has not yet been able to have its representation at Amazon UK recognized, as the number of members does not represent 50% of the site’s employees. The union has also accused Amazon of having made many hires to curb union ambitions.
Amazon facing its employees
The strike organized in the United Kingdom is only one of the many episodes opposing Amazon to its employees. In 2022, a vote gave birth to Amazon’s first-ever union in New Jersey. The company, however, contested the result and did not enter into negotiations with the union, as reported The Guardian.
Very recently, a German union organized a strike movement in 10 distribution centers with more or less the same demands as across the Channel. In France, the situation changed last April, with an agreement to increase wages by 7.8% on average.
Four out of five trade unions validated the agreement, the CGT believing that the increase was too low in relation to inflation. Finally, remember that the strike movement in Coventry is the second this year. The first movement, organized in January, had been very well attended.
Source : The Guardian
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