Amazon workers in Coventry vote for strike action

GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing said workers should be applauded for their determination

Amazon workers at the company's warehouse in Coventry have voted to take strike action in what is believed to be a UK first.

The GMB union said hundreds of workers voted to walk out over a 50 pence per hour pay offer.

A majority of more than 98% of workers voted to strike on a ballot turnout of more than 63%, the union said.

Amazon has previously said it offered "competitive pay" and gave workers "comprehensive benefits".

The company said it was 178 people who had voted to walk out and that it was 98% of union members at the site who voted to strike, not of the 1,400 total workforce.

A spokesperson said it was proud to offer competitive pay which starts at a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 per hour, depending on location.

"This represents a 29% increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon employees since 2018," the spokesperson added.

"On top of this, we're pleased to have announced that full-time, part-time and seasonal frontline employees will receive an additional one-time special payment of up to £500 as an extra thank you."

The ballot shut on Friday, but any industrial action is likely to take place in the new year. Workers had wanted their hourly pay to rise from £10 an hour to £15.

Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser, said the workers were making history by being the first Amazon workers in the UK to take part in a formal strike.

"The fact that they are being forced to go on strike to win a decent rate of pay from one of the world's most valuable companies should be a badge of shame for Amazon," she said.

"Amazon can afford to do better. It's not too late to avoid strike action; get round the table with GMB to improve the pay and conditions of workers."