Amazon workers at a Coventry warehouse will become the first in the UK to take part in a formal strike ballot.
Yesterday, hundreds of workers began voting on whether to walk out in anger over the company’s 35 pence per hour pay offer.
The ballot closes on 19 October, with any industrial action likely to take place in November.
Coventry Amazon workers are making history, says GMB Union.
What happened before the strike ballot began?
Amazon workers across the UK have staged informal protests in anger at a three percent pay offer from the company.
Last September, Amazon reported paying £492m in tax the previous year – despite UK revenue soaring to £20.6billion in the pandemic.
Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser, said: “These Amazon workers will be the first ever in the UK to take part in a formal strike ballot – they’re making history.
“They’re being offered 35p an hour during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation – and that’s from a company worth more than £1 trillion.
“Understandably, they are furious.
“Amazon can afford to do better. It’s not too late to avoid strike action; get round the table with GMB to improve the pay and conditions of workers.”
How should employers manage strikes?
Strikes can cause many problems for the day-to-day operations of organisations, as many employees may become absent.
It is important to try and keep the essential operations going. It is a criminal offence to hire agency workers to replace the striking workers. Instead, shifting employees around in order to cover these basic operations will be essential.
Senior employees and line managers should be called on to conduct training as necessary, as well as to offer a guiding hand amidst the change.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.