AMAZON workers at the retail giant’s new flagship fulfilment centre have voted to strike just weeks after its opening.
The GMB union today announced that workers at the Birmingham warehouse will down tools on Thursday January 25.
The £500 million centre opened its doors at the end of 2023 and it will be the third Amazon workplace to face strike action.
The latest action will be on the anniversary of the first ever official strike at a British Amazon warehouse.
Amazon has faced nearly 30 days of strike action in the past 12 months, with more than 1,000 workers downing tools to mark its Black Friday event in November.
GMB organiser Rachel Fagan said: “The industrial chaos Amazon faces isn’t going to disappear; it’s growing every day.
“We’re just weeks into the new year, but are already seeing the strike action spread to new Amazon workplaces.
“For workers to down tools at Amazon’s new Birmingham HQ, just weeks after it opened its doors, goes to show how furious Amazon workers in the UK are.
“One year on from the first strike day, the message from GMB members at Amazon is the same: recognise our union and end poverty pay.”
An Amazon spokesman claimed that the action will cause “zero disruption for our customers” as just 19 GMB members out of the 2,000 Sutton Coldfield fulfilment centre workers voted in favour of the strike.
He added: “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. ”
