Amazon workers in Coventry announce strike date in first ever UK walkout

GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing said workers were fighting for "what's right"

The first ever strike by UK workers at online giant Amazon is to be held later this month, it has been announced.

Members of the GMB union based at the company's Coventry warehouse will walk out on 25 January after voting in favour of taking industrial action.

GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing said the workers, who are in a pay dispute, were set to make history.

Amazon said it appreciated the work its teams carried out and they were offered competitive pay.

The union organiser said: "They've [the workers] shown they're willing to put themselves on the line to fight for what's right.

"But people working for one of the most valuable companies in the world shouldn't have to threaten strike action just to win a wage they can live on."

She urged Amazon UK bosses to give workers "a proper pay rise and avoid industrial action".

Hundreds of workers voted to walk out over a 50p per hour pay offer, the GMB said.

The spokesperson for Amazon said pay rates, depending on location, starting at a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 per hour represented a 29% increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon employees since 2018.

"Employees are also offered comprehensive benefits that are worth thousands more - including private medical insurance, life assurance, subsidised meals and an employee discount, to name a few," they added.

The strike will have "zero impact" on customers and normal operations will continue, the firm said, as the Coventry site was not a fulfilment centre that directly services customer orders - providing stock to its UK centres instead.