Amazon workers at Coventry depot vote to strike in New Year

Amazon workers at a depot in Coventry are poised to go on strike in the New Year over a £15-an-hour pay claim after members voted "yes" in a ballot for industrial action. 

Members of the GMB Union voted to hold a second ballot after narrowly missing out on the 50% turnout threshold in October. In the new vote, 63% of members cast a ballot, with 98% of them in favour of a strike in the new year. 

Nearly a quarter of the 1,400 staff employed at a depot in Coventry could walk out, becoming the first Amazon workers in the UK to strike. 

Amanda Gearing, a senior organiser at the GMB, told the Guardian: “Amazon workers in Coventry have made history. They should be applauded for their grit and determination, fighting for what’s right in the face of an appallingly hostile environment.” 

Workers at the site joined others in the UK in staging walkouts in the summer over pay rises. 

An Amazon spokesperson said: “We appreciate the great work our teams do throughout the year and we’re 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. 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. 

“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.”