They pointed to a strong performance on official data around injuries requiring seven days off work (RIDDORs). They also said that many of the callouts were about pre-existing conditions and not workplace injuries. However, Amazon insisted their safety record was strong and said it was unfair to compare numbers based on the size of the warehouse when they claimed they had far more staff. There was a separate FOI linked to the company's warehouse in Rugeley that suggested over three years ambulances were called to the Amazon warehouse 108 times, while they were called to a similar-sized Tesco warehouse only eight times. A freedom of information request by GMB found that ambulances were called to the Coventry site 59 times between September 2018 and October 2021 for reasons including burns and traumatic injuries. On working conditions, Mr Westwood described how Amazon demanded that workers hit a particular rate when packing boxes - but didn't tell them the required rate until halfway through, or sometimes after their shift.Īmazon has also been criticised for a high number of ambulance call-outs to its sites. They said that was a 29% increase since 2018 and said there were many other benefits such as private medical insurance. But they insisted that they were proud to offer "competitive pay which starts at a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 per hour, depending on location". He said colleagues were struggling to pay bills, with some forced to turn to food banks.Īmazon told ITV News that they appreciated the "great work" their teams put in through the year, and announced a one-off special payment of up to £500 as an "extra thank you".
He said he worked for "one of the richest men in the world one of the richest companies in the world" adding "and they're saying I can only have 50 pence?" Mr Westwood also criticised working conditions in the warehouse, claiming that there were incidents of fainting because people spent so long on their feet. Prime minister Rishi Sunak told ITV News the government would not 'get involved' with a private company's relationship And they knew every night that I was going out to work with another thousand people in a warehouse." "Obviously, they'd seen news and read reports about how Covid was impacting people. When I used to come to work during the pandemic, my kids used to cry," he said. One worker, Darren Westwood, described the offer - raising pay from £9.96 to £10.56 an hour - as a "smack in the teeth" - particularly after the effort workers' put in through the pandemic. Although it is small, it is unprecedented for this tech giant in the UK. The ballot, which was held among around 300 workers in the Coventry warehouse, saw a 63% turnout - so well above the necessary threshold, with 98% voting to strike. 'It made us feel so unappreciated': Amazon worker Darren Westwood described the offer, raising pay from £9.96 to £10.56 an hour, as a 'smack in the teeth'īut Amazon said the vote had been held among a tiny proportion of the tens of thousands of workers in the UK and would not disrupt any deliveries. It's not too late to avoid strike action get round the table to improve the pay and conditions of workers." They should be applauded for their grit and determination, fighting what's right in the face of an appallingly hostile environment. "They will be the first ever in the UK to take part in a formal strike. The walkout is likely to take place in January after staff reacted angrily to a 50p per hour pay rise in the summer - equivalent to 5% and well below inflation.Īmanda Gearing, a senior organiser for the union GMB, said the workers had "made history" by organising within this warehouse. An Amazon worker tells Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana why he's strikingĪmazon workers have voted to go on strike for the first time ever in the UK after a ballot at one of the company's vast warehouses in Coventry.
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