Union members at Amazon are stepping up their battle over pay and conditions, launching strike ballots at two more warehouses, as the GMB union demands formal recognition at the delivery company’s Coventry site.
GMB members at Amazon fulfilment centres in Rugeley, Staffordshire, and Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, are voting on whether to strike after signalling their readiness to take industrial action in consultative ballots.
It came after a second pay rise from the internet retailer in 12 months was dismissed by the GMB as “an insult”. Amanda Gearing, senior organiser at the union, 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.”
The GMB, which has been steadily building up its representation at Amazon UK over the past decade, concedes that just 150 members will be balloted across the two sites – likely to be less than 10% of the total workforce.
But it hopes that, as in Coventry, where the first UK strikes against Amazon kicked off in January, the prospect of industrial action will raise the union’s profile and help to bolster membership.
Consultative votes held at three further sites did not meet the threshold to proceed to a full-blown strike ballot.
Meanwhile, the GMB has written to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) – the arm of the Department for Business and Trade that rules on union disputes – requesting statutory recognition at the Coventry depot. It followed Amazon’s rejection of a request from the union for voluntary recognition.
After the GMB wrote to the firm last month, Amazon issued its response on Thursday, stating: “We do not believe voluntary recognition is an appropriate path for our business.”
If the CAC determines that more than 50% of the workers in the relevant bargaining unit support the GMB’s request, it has the legal power to declare the union recognised, which would give it negotiating rights.
In some cases, the CAC can call a ballot to ascertain the level of support for recognition. Before doing so, it must make a potentially contentious decision about the size of the relevant bargaining unit.
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The union believes it has a strong case, after a recruitment drive in Coventry, which it says has taken membership numbers from fewer than 300 to above 700.
In its statement this week, the firm, which has a well-documented policy of non-cooperation with unions, rejected the need for formal negotiating rights, but suggested that staff already have the opportunity to communicate with senior managers.
“Amazon respects our employees’ rights to join, or not to join, a union. We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern, work environment,” the company’s statement said. “At Amazon, these benefits and opportunities come with the job, as does the ability to communicate directly with the leadership of the company.”
The strike action at Coventry emerged from an impromptu walkout last summer, after the firm announced a pay rise of 50p an hour. Another increase followed last month, taking the minimum hourly rate to between £11 and £12, but GMB members are continuing to demand £15 an hour.
