The new pay structure will see minimum hourly rates rise by 9.8%, bringing them to between £13.50 and £14.50, depending on location. Employees with at least three years of service will see their minimum hourly wage increase to between £13.75 and £14.75. This pay rise, effective from 29 September, will apply to thousands of Amazon workers, including delivery drivers and staff at the company’s UK fulfilment centres.

In response to recent strikes by UK employees, Amazon noted that it has invested £550 million in pay increases since 2022. A company spokesperson highlighted the benefits provided to employees, stating, “That’s why we are proud to announce that we are increasing our minimum starting pay for all frontline employees to the equivalent of more than £28,000 a year, and we continue to offer industry-leading benefits from day one.”

GMB Union Criticises Pay Rise as Inadequate

Rachel Fagan, a GMB organiser, dismissed the pay increase as insufficient, remarking, “This is too little, too late from Amazon bosses who have been forced to act by workers’ industrial action. Amazon’s reputation is in the gutter over its treatment of its own workers, and now company bosses are trying to plaster over the facts. Unsafe working conditions, low pay, and excessive surveillance blight the lives of Amazon workers every single day.”

In July, the GMB narrowly lost a statutory ballot at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse, which, had it succeeded, would have granted the union formal recognition. The hard-fought vote saw 50.5% of workers reject the proposal.

Continued Strikes and Union Challenges

Amazon workers in Coventry have staged numerous strikes over the past 18 months, demanding a minimum wage of £15 an hour and the right to negotiate directly with management. Their actions have drawn support from trade unionists across Europe and the US, who face similar challenges in their own countries.

Amazon’s Stance on Unionisation

Amazon maintains a global policy of refusing to cooperate with unions, favouring direct communication with its employees. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, Amazon has grown from a garage startup to a nearly $2 trillion enterprise, spanning retail and cloud services.

Reports from within the Coventry warehouse suggest that Amazon has employed union-busting tactics, including the use of QR codes that generate emails to cancel GMB memberships.

Labour Government’s Pledge on Union Rights

The Labour government has committed to making it easier for trade unions to gain recognition, as part of a broader initiative aimed at strengthening the bargaining power of the UK’s workforce.

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