Amazon Workers at New U.K. Site Vote to Strike Over Pay

By Joe Hoppe

Amazon.com faces another round of labor action in the U.K., as up to 100 workers at the e-commerce giant's newest flagship fulfillment center site in Birmingham, England, voted to strike later in January.

The GMB Union said Tuesday that workers will go on strike on Jan. 25 over pay and work conditions at the warehouse, which opened in October.

The strike date is the anniversary of the first official industrial action at a U.K. Amazon warehouse in Coventry, England, and follows a number of other recent strikes. More than 1,000 workers at the Coventry warehouse walked out in November in a dispute over pay.

"One year on from the first strike day, the message from GMB members at Amazon is the same; recognize our union and end poverty pay," GMB Organizer Rachel Fagan said.

In response, Amazon said "just" 19 GMB members out of its 2,000 workers at the Birmingham site voted in favor of industrial action, adding that the strike will cause no disruption to customers.

"We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits. By April 2024, our minimum starting pay will have increased to 12.30 pounds and 13 pounds ($15.68 and $16.57) an hour depending on location, that is a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018," an Amazon spokesperson said.

"We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities."

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 09, 2024 10:43 ET (15:43 GMT)

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