AMAZON could be on the brink of being forced to recognise a trade union for the first time in Britain after GMB made a formal bid to government body the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC).

The committee is responsible for regulating collective bargaining between workers and employers and can force firms to recognise a trade union if more than 50 per cent of the workforce are members.

After over a year of industrial action, union membership at the company’s Coventry site has grown significantly.