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Amazon Coventry: A near-miss that shook a corporate giant
Despite falling short of union recognition, workers’ courage and community solidarity have set a powerful precedent for organising in hostile environments, argues PHIL STREET
Amazon staff members on a GMB union picket line outside the online retailer's site in Coventry, as they take part in a strike in their long-running dispute over pay. Picture date: Tuesday March 19, 2024.

SO NOW we know the workers at Amazon Coventry “fulfilment centre” have not achieved union recognition: 49.5 per cent voted for recognition — only 29 votes short.

The reaction has been a cross between exhilaration at an enormous sense of achievement, along with disappointment tinged by frustration about being so close. A reaction spread among workers, union officials and members of the Amazon Workers Supporters Group.

This dispute has not been strictly a company matter, it has engaged the wider community and the attention of the world.

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