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Rising GMB membership, cross-border action and a probable new government point to better times for thousands of workers
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/19/black-friday-strike-could-mark-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-amazons-war-on-unions
Ten months after their first historic walkout, GMB members at Amazon’s huge Coventry warehouse are staging a 28th day of strike action this week, to coincide with Black Friday.
The seeds of the dispute were sown in summer 2022, when some staff reacted furiously to being told their pay would rise by 50p an hour, taking the basic rate to £10.50.
Since then, as they honed their tactics at a string of “strike schools” run by the union, the Amazon workers have won the support of local MP Taiwo Owateme and former US presidential contender Bernie Sanders.
On Friday, they will be joined by Amazon workers from Germany, Italy and the US, a move designed to underline unions’ growing belief that confronting the global tech giant takes cross-border collaboration.
An international campaign, called– Make Amazon Pay, has brought together activists from many countries to make the case for better conditions inside the company’s vast warehouses, and to highlight its practices in other areas, such as tax and competition.
“Workers know that it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what your job title is, we are all united in the fight for wages with dignity and a voice on the job. That’s what workers in Coventry are striking for, and that is why workers around the world are standing up to Make Amazon Pay,” said Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI global union.
So far the coalition has taken action in 130 countries, with 80 unions involved.
The Coventry staff have asked for pay of £15 an hour and a seat at the management table. They have not achieved either, though after several pay rises since their crusade began, the minimum rate is now £11.80.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/19/black-friday-strike-could-mark-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-amazons-war-on-unions
Ten months after their first historic walkout, GMB members at Amazon’s huge Coventry warehouse are staging a 28th day of strike action this week, to coincide with Black Friday.
The seeds of the dispute were sown in summer 2022, when some staff reacted furiously to being told their pay would rise by 50p an hour, taking the basic rate to £10.50.
Since then, as they honed their tactics at a string of “strike schools” run by the union, the Amazon workers have won the support of local MP Taiwo Owateme and former US presidential contender Bernie Sanders.
On Friday, they will be joined by Amazon workers from Germany, Italy and the US, a move designed to underline unions’ growing belief that confronting the global tech giant takes cross-border collaboration.
An international campaign, called– Make Amazon Pay, has brought together activists from many countries to make the case for better conditions inside the company’s vast warehouses, and to highlight its practices in other areas, such as tax and competition.
“Workers know that it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what your job title is, we are all united in the fight for wages with dignity and a voice on the job. That’s what workers in Coventry are striking for, and that is why workers around the world are standing up to Make Amazon Pay,” said Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI global union.
So far the coalition has taken action in 130 countries, with 80 unions involved.
The Coventry staff have asked for pay of £15 an hour and a seat at the management table. They have not achieved either, though after several pay rises since their crusade began, the minimum rate is now £11.80.
