Union boss questions Amazon public contracts

Amazon workers in Coventry narrowly rejected union recognition in July

Amazon should be at risk of losing taxpayer-funded contracts if it fails to "treat workers with respect", a union boss has said.

GMB general secretary Gary Smith accused the online giant of using "despicable" tactics to stop workers at its Coventry base from unionising.

In July, the union announced that 49.5% of Amazon workers at the site voted in favour of union recognition - falling just short of the required majority.

Amazon has been approached for a response, but has previously said it had "always worked hard" to listen to employees, "act on their feedback, and invest heavily in great pay, benefits and skills development".

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Monday, Mr Smith questioned how it could be right for the company to receive more than £1bn in public contracts in the past year.

"The tactics used by this company to try and union-bust have been despicable and our members will keep up the fight, but government has to step up too," he said.

"Our Labour government needs to be clear with Amazon: if you want to keep trousering hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' cash, they need to treat workers with respect."

'Make work pay'

Steve Garelick, delegate for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Constituency Labour Party, said procurement money needed to be focused on companies that support workers' rights, specifically on safety and access to unions.

He told the conference: "It is essential that we ensure this money is spent wisely and it's used to support businesses that provide good working conditions for their employees."

At the conference, GMB moved a motion calling for the government to "fully partner" with trade unions to "co-design" Labour's plans to "make work pay".