Amazon staff have announced fresh strike action over pay next month, hitting Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The GMB Union said the walk-outs by its Coventry members would potentially see more than 1,000 workers take part.
The news comes a day after Amazon announced a pay rise for staff of at least £1 an hour. Amazon said it was proud to offer its “talented” staff competitive wages.
The BBC News Service is reporting that the strike action will take place on 7, 8 and 9 November as well as on 24 November, known as Black Friday, a big day for retail.
Workers in Coventry have staged several days of action in a dispute over pay. and were the first UK Amazon worker to go on strike in January.
Rachel Fagan, GMB organiser, said the latest strike action dates would bring total days lost to industrial action to nearly 30.
“This is our members’ response to the failure of Amazon bosses to listen,” she said.
Members have been calling for an hourly pay rise from £10.50 to £15 following a 50p per hour pay offer from Amazon earlier this year.
From 15 October, the minimum starting pay for frontline employees will rise to between £11.80 and £12.50 an hour depending on location.Minimum starting pay will increase further next April to between £12.30 and £13 an hour, depending on location, the company said on Monday.
“We have some of the most talented colleagues around, and we’re proud to offer them competitive wages and benefits, as well as fantastic opportunities for career development, all in a safe and modern work environment, said Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey.
“These are just some of the reasons people want to work at Amazon, whether it’s their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.”