UK Amazon Workers Go on Strike for the First Time

Trisha Kae Andrada, Tech Times 25 January 2023, 09:01 am

(Photo : KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

US tech giant Amazon is experiencing its first official industrial action in the UK as employees strike.

'Historical' Strike

According to CNBC's report, the 24-hour strike started at midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Throughout the day, protesters plan to gather outside the company's headquarters in Coventry, central England.

Workers' union GMB anticipates around 300 out of 1,000 at the facility to participate in the boycott.

Employees are dissatisfied with a 5% raise in wages that amounts to just 50 pence (56 US cents) per hour, far lower than inflation. Last summer, Amazon implemented the said salary increase.

However, some who work in warehouses believe it is not enough to cover living expenses. They demand that the firm pay them at least £15 (about $18) per hour.

The workers are also seeking improved working conditions. In addition to the technologically-enhanced surveillance of employees, lengthy working hours, high accident rates, and a relentless pace of work have been cited as sources of discontent among Amazon workers.

The strike against the company on Wednesday is the first one in British history to be authorized by law. Amazon workers in the UK went on strike twice last year, in August and again in November on Black Friday.

Amazon warehouse worker Darren Westwood, actively participating in the protests, said that getting to this "historic" day has been a long journey for them.

"We all saw the profits they're making during the pandemic - that's what angered people more. We were expecting a better increase than what they were imposing," Westwood told CNBC.

Westwood pointed out that someone recently suggested humans are treated like robots in Amazon's warehouses, but he argued that robots get superior treatment.

He added he is concerned about the welfare of other workers, including one who works 60 hours a week just to make ends meet.

Admin's Response

According to a statement sent to CNBC by an Amazon representative, the affected workers amount to just a fraction of 1% of their UK workforce.

The company claimed that salaries for workers in its warehouses in the UK had climbed by 29% since 2018. It added that employees had received a £500 ($615) bonus to assist with the rising cost of living.

Due to the difficulties in energy production and distribution caused by the conflict in Ukraine, inflation has surged. The Bank of England raised interest rates to curb inflation after consumer prices increased 10.5% year over year in December 2022.

Layoff Waves

Amazon is laying off thousands of people throughout the globe, including hundreds in the UK. Last week, the corporation started laying off 18,000 people in preparation for a likely recession in 2023 by reducing the growth it achieved during the Covid-19 era.

The online retail giant stated earlier this month that it plans to shutter three of its facilities in the UK, employing 1,200 people. According to CNBC, Amazon confirmed that this is not part of the 18,000 job layoffs that have been announced.