Amazon workers in Coventry to request union recognition after membership doubles
Amazon workers at the delivery firm’s Coventry depot are demanding formal union recognition, after membership more than doubled during strike action.
If granted, it would be the first time a union in the UK has won the right to negotiate with the American tech firm.
The GMB union, which has organised 14 strike days at the distribution centre since January, has been signing up hundreds of new members on picket lines outside.
Amazon implemented a pay rise of 50p an hour last month, taking its minimum pay for warehouse workers to £11; but the staff taking action are demanding £15 an hour – and have been frustrated at the company’s refusal to talk.
Amanda Gearing, GMB senior organiser, said: “GMB members have been crystal clear since the start of their campaign; they will not accept a pay rise of pennies from one of the world’s wealthiest corporations.
“After weeks of campaigning and 14 strike days, they’ve built the power of their union on site and are now in a position to file for recognition.”
The GMB now claims to have 700 members at the warehouse, up from about 300 when the dispute began. The GMB believes this is likely to amount to 50% of the staff employed there.
As a result, it will now request formal recognition from Amazon. If Amazon does not agree after 10 days, the union can then ask the independent Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to grant statutory recognition.
CAC can uphold the request if it agrees there is evidence more than half the staff at the site want the union to represent them. It could ballot employees to judge whether this is the case.
If it won such a ballot, the GMB would then have the legal right to negotiate pay and conditions with management.
At the time of the recent pay rise, which followed another
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