The minimum starting pay for employees at Amazon.com Inc.’s UK operations has been increased to between 11 pounds ($13.50) and 12 pounds per hour.
The move comes after employees at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry, central England, went on strike earlier this year over pay for several days. The company stated that the increase will begin in April and vary by location.
According to Amanda Gearing, senior organizer of GMB, the union that represents over 500 Amazon employees, and they are listening to Amazon workers and the message is very clear. The message is very clear, and this new pay rate is an insult. As a result, they will conduct consultations over the next few days before announcing a fresh round of actions.
In response to the cost-of-living crisis that has prompted strikes in a variety of sectors throughout Britain over the past few months, the union had stated that Amazon Coventry employees are requesting 15 pounds per hour. Last year, Amazon increased starting salaries by 50 pence to a minimum of 10.50 to 11.45 pounds per hour.
At the beginning of April 2023, the UK National Living Wage, which is a minimum wage rate that does not apply to apprentices or workers under the age of 23, is expected to increase by 9.7% to 10.42 pounds per hour.
