Sutton Coldfield Amazon staff to be balloted on action over pay

Amazon workers in Coventry have started three days of action over pay

Union members at Amazon's new £500m warehouse in Birmingham are to be balloted over strike action.

The GMB union said the vote for workers in Sutton Coldfield signified a "snowballing" of industrial action as 1,000 of its members in Coventry launched a fresh series of strikes.

Workers in Coventry have started a new three-day dispute over pay.

The online retail giant said it regularly reviewed pay to ensure it offered competitive wages and benefits.

The Coventry strike action involved about 1,000 members, the GMB union said

Workers in Coventry first walked out in January - the first ever strike by Amazon employees in the UK.

They are planning to take three further days of action until 9 November and will again walk out on 24 November, the date known as Black Friday in which online commerce traditionally experiences a surge.

Union members are also set to take industrial action on that date in Europe and the USA, a move expected to hit the company on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Rachel Fagan, GMB organiser, said: "Today more than 1,000 GMB members at Amazon will down tools and take to the picket line in the first day of strike action leading to Black Friday.

"This is an unprecedented and historic moment with low-paid workers taking on one of the world's most powerful corporations.

"Now we're seeing industrial action snowballing with workers launching a new strike vote at Amazon Birmingham."

The company has said it offers staff competitive wages and benefits

In June, the company announced its fulfilment centre in Rugeley, Staffordshire, was to close, with union members there also voting to take industrial action over pay.

The company's new 547,000 sq ft site in Peddimore, Sutton Coldfield, opened last month, with staff affected by the Rugeley closure offered jobs there.

An Amazon spokesperson said: "We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern, work environment."

The company added that its minimum starting pay was between £11.80 and £12.50 an hour depending on location for all full-time, part-time and seasonal roles and from April 2024, minimum starting pay would increase to between £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location.

"These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it's their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career."

The Coventry action would lead to "no disruption to customers", added the retailer.