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AMAZON workers walked out on Black Friday today in their long-running dispute over pay.
GMB union members at the online giant’s site in Coventry mounted an early morning picket outside the centre, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Strikes and demonstrations are also being held in other European countries and the US, which unions say will be the biggest day of action in Amazon’s history, and a protest is due outside the company’s London offices.
The union said more than 1,000 workers at the Coventry site were striking, making it the 28th day of action in the dispute.
GMB official Amanda Gearing said: “Today will go down as a turning point in Amazon’s history.
“Working people, who make Amazon’s business model possible, stand up to demand their share of the company’s enormous wealth.
“Despite that, Amazon bosses are desperate to claim it will be ‘business as usual’ for Amazon and their customers this Black Friday.
“The truth is that today will see the largest day of industrial disruption in Amazon’s history.
“With industrial action escalating and workers joining strike action in Europe and the USA, it’s clear this strike is inspiring Amazon workers worldwide to fight to force the company to change its ways.”
Cleodie Rickard of campaign group Global Justice Now said: “From Coventry to Kolkata, Amazon workers and citizens across the world are uniting this Black Friday to say it’s time to make Amazon pay.
“We’ve had enough of rampantly unchecked corporate greed destroying our livelihoods, our communities and our planet.”
Amazon defended its pay rates and said the strike will not affect customers. An spokesman said: “We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits.
“By April 2024, our minimum starting pay will have increased to £12.30 and £13 per hour depending on location — that’s a 20 per cent increase over two years and 50 per cent since 2018.”
Amazon said its pay rates were well above the national living wage and the voluntary real living wage, while benefits included private medical insurance, life assurance, subsidised meals and an employee discount.
