Amazon workers on brink of recognition victory

Workers at online retail giant Amazon’s Coventry depot look set to be the first in the UK to win recognition from the company, after union membership at the site doubled following strike action.

The GMB general union, which has organised 14 strike days since January in pursuit of £15 an hour pay (see previous issues), has announced that it now represents over half the workers at the site, who will be demanding recognition.

Speaking on BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, Amanda Gearing, GMB senior organiser, commented: “There is a full process in place to try and prevent the GMB from forming, but we have the numbers now and Amazon will go out of their way to flood that warehouse with more workers so the numbers are different.”

If Amazon refuses recognition then the union will call in the Central Arbitration Committee.

l Parking enforcement officers in Westminster have voted to strike on the day of the king’s coronation, GMB has announced. The workers, employed by the council’s contractor NSL, are in dispute over the employer’s failure to agree a cost of living pay award after forcing “drastic” changes onto workers’ terms and conditions in a wide-ranging restructure.

The employer has been notified that the officers intend to take action short of a strike from 1 to 8 May and strike action on 2, 4 and 6 May, the day of the royal event.