‘I am not a robot’: Why Amazon UK workers are striking on Prime Day

"This marks the site of a protest," declares Rachel Fagan with great determination. Standing before a row of striking employees lined up several layers deep at Amazon's expansive BHX4 warehouse in Coventry, the GMB union's Midlands regional coordinator participates in a demonstration aimed at publicly shaming the online giant during a significant sales occasion.

Around 900 employees at the warehouse in Coventry have opted to participate in a period of strike, which will last for three days starting from July 11 and ending on July 13. Interestingly, this period aligns with the popular sales event known as Prime Day, which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. While standing alongside the picket line, a worker proudly displays a sign that boldly declares: "I am not capable of being mechanized."

Amazon has experienced a significant surge in strike activity, with a total of 22 strike days recorded since January, marking the onset of the company's inaugural strike occurrences in the UK.

In the meantime, there are also strikes happening this week in Germany. The disagreement involves ver.di, the country's second biggest union, organizing action at 10 distribution centers. Let's delve into what you should be aware of regarding this conflict.

What's The Disagreement About?

Employees are engaging in a strike against Amazon as they protest against insufficient wages, unfavorable working conditions, and the company's refusal to acknowledge union rights.

According to the GMB union, workers at Amazon receive a salary of £10.50 per hour and are now urging for an increase to £15. On a broader scale, individuals aged 23 years and older are legally entitled to a minimum wage of £10.42 per hour.

The dispute began when Amazon presented a proposal in 2022 to raise wages by 50 pence per hour. This decision infuriated employees who had been expressing their dissatisfaction with the intense work conditions, compounded by a significant surge in online orders caused by the Covid pandemic.

At the recent annual congress of GMB in Brighton, Garfield Hylton, an employee from Coventry, expressed his thoughts by stating, "They have the ability to keep tabs on your every move, every minute, every assignment - it's excessive control."

The term used for this is 'consistency in scanning' - you need to continuously scan without interruption, ensuring a constant and speedy scanning process.

The labor organization has been involved in a fight to advocate for Amazon employees in Coventry and has gradually increased its number of members at the location from a small group of individuals to approximately 900.

According to GMB, there were approximately 1,400 employees at the depot, surpassing the minimum requirement of 50% for union recognition.

However, Amazon claimed that the number of employees present at the facility was closer to 2,700. Reluctantly, the union decided to cancel its efforts to gain official acknowledgment, as it accused the company of bringing in over 1,000 additional workers to manipulate the outcome.

The labor union leveled allegations of deceitful tactics against the e-commerce giant. In retaliation, Amazon countered by stating, "We consistently bring in fresh personnel."

Can Amazon Accept A UK Union?

The disagreement between the employees in Coventry and Amazon is a small glimpse into a bigger conflict involving the retail powerhouse. Amazon has consistently shown hostility towards worker representation and has been under pressure to allow unions in Europe and the United States.

While the GMB lacks the necessary amount of members for official union recognition at the Coventry location, labor unions in other regions have achieved certain advancements.

In a significant event in the United States in April 2022, employees at a warehouse in New Jersey achieved a groundbreaking victory by successfully conducting the inaugural union election at Amazon.

Nevertheless, Amazon has disputed the outcome and is yet to engage in negotiations with the Amazon Labor Union, the triumphant party in the election.

GMB's Latest Updates: What's Been Said?

According to Fagan, the upcoming strike will greatly affect the Prime operations of Amazon. This demonstrates that the world's biggest e-commerce company, Amazon, heavily relies on its employees.

According to her, the Prime Day promotions have the potential to generate a colossal sum of £2 billion (£1.55 billion) in sales for Amazon.

"It's absolutely appalling that within this situation, they're refusing to grant the hardworking individuals in the United Kingdom the right to a salary that covers their expenses... you simply cannot acquire the services of individuals at a low cost," she expresses.

What Did Amazon Say?

Amazon has confirmed that the strike this week will not cause any inconvenience for its customers.

A representative from the company stated: "We provide attractive wages, extensive perks, chances for professional advancement, all while working in a secure, contemporary work setting."

Additionally, it mentioned that employees had the opportunity to "engage in direct communication with the company's executives".

How Is Amazon Doing?

The store, established in Jeff Bezos's garage in 1994, has rebounded this year following a challenging end to 2022 for technology shares.

Impressive financial outcomes have caused the company's stocks to surge by 55% during the initial six months of 2023, resulting in a market valuation of $1.32 trillion.

The company shared its financial results for the initial quarter of the year, revealing a total income of $127.4 billion. This amount displayed a significant increase of 9% in comparison to the $116.4 billion generated during the corresponding period in the previous year. Simultaneously, the organization has taken active measures to reduce expenses, resulting in the termination of approximately 30,000 employees.

Terry Smith, the renowned British investment guru, seems underwhelmed with recent developments. Just recently, he revealed that his Fundsmith investment fund withdrew from Amazon earlier this year due to apprehensions about the company's unwavering focus on expanding into grocery retail instead of prioritizing its main operations in technology.