Rugeley Amazon workers vote for strike action
Amazon faces fresh strikes in the UK as union members at two more of its fulfilment centres have backed industrial action over pay in a ballot.
The workers at Rugeley and Mansfield will now take part in a binding vote on strike action.
More than 150 workers at the two sites overwhelmingly backed strikes in a consultative ballot.
The Rugeley fulfilment centre at Towers Business Park saw 98 per cent of members vote for escalation, while 100 per cent backed strike action at Amazon Mansfield.
There have already been 14 days of strikes at the retail giant’s Coventry depot, which saw as many as 700 workers down tools in the UK's first strike at an Amazon fulfilment centre.
Workers have since submitted a request for union recognition after GMB reached the membership threshold for mandatory recognition, which could mark Amazon's first union recognition in Europe.
The fresh ballots at Rugeley and Mansfield will begin on May 12 and run for four weeks until June 9.
Amanda Gearing, GMB senior organiser, said: “Amazon workers are fighting back against a pay rise of pennies from one of the world's wealthiest corporations.
“This escalation will now see workers in two further fulfilment centres asked to have their say on downing tools and walking out to deliver pay justice.
“We’ve already seen enormous enthusiasm from workers at Mansfield and Rugeley to take action, now it will be up to their union to move forward with the campaign.
“We warned Amazon that this could fast become a summer of strike chaos if they refused to sit down and talk pay. Amazon Coventry workers have risen up, now we are seeing a domino effect.
“With strike action escalating and historical union recognition on the horizon, it's time for Amazon to get real and get around the table."
Amazon issued a statement in response saying: “We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages, and recently announced another increase for our UK teams. Over the past seven months, our minimum pay has risen by 10 per cent and by more than 37 per cent since 2018. We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities. 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.”
It also say its minimum starting pay will be between £11 and £12 per hour, depending on location and Amazon has invested more than £125 million on pay rises for UK hourly paid workers over the past seven months.
Pay rates are above the National Living Wage (£10.42 per hour from April 1).
Full-time, part-time and seasonal frontline employees received an additional one-time special payment of up to £500 at Christmas as an extra thank you.
