Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Amazon staff protests spread to multiple UK depots over pay dispute

Amazon staff protests spread to multiple UK depots over pay dispute

Workers say retailer offering ‘insulting’ pay rise given pandemic and cost of living crisis
Amazon workers at Tilbury in Essex have stopped working for the second day in a row as fury over the online retailer’s “insulting” pay rise offer spread to three other UK warehouses.

The GMB union said about 50 workers were gathered in the facility’s canteen on Friday in protest at the offer, which is an estimated 3% rise.

They said numbers have declined from the 700 protesting on Thursday because the company has been engaging in “divide and conquer” tactics by sending managers to meet and talk with smaller groups of workers.

Amazon confirmed these meetings were taking place and said it was in order to ensure that “all workers’ voices can be heard”.

It is understood that workers at the facility currently receive £11.10 an hour and are calling for an increase of £2, rather than the 35p that has been offered by the online retailer.

Amazon said staff were being offered £10.50 or £11.45 an hour depending on location and has defended its “competitive” pay package.

One worker from Tilbury said those in the warehouse had been anxious for some time about their pay because of increasing bills at home and had been expecting a “substantial increase” of at least £1 an hour.

“We have been there for them during the pandemic and made sure the country was connected. Amazon was one of the ways [Covid-19] tests were sent out to people and we have been there and made sure the country was running,” they said.

“For all this just getting 35p, it’s an insult. Its like 3% compared [with] skyrocket inflation and almost like getting a pay cut. I am getting stressed out and anxious just thinking about [high energy bills] and that 35p is not going to cover nothing.”

He said Amazon had told those who wished to protest by sitting in the canteen that they must clock off to do so – and hence they would not be paid for that time – leading to most people going back to work. However, he added, a number of colleagues were choosing to “go-slow” as a way to show their dissatisfaction with the pay offer.

Anger over the offer has spread to warehouses in Coventry, Bristol and Rugeley in Staffordshire.

The GMB union said on Friday that protests had spread to other depots including Tilbury, Dartford, Belvedere, Hemel Hempstead and Chesterfield. A spokesperson added that workers at a number of factories were slowing down their work to one package an hour.

Steve Garelick, a GMB regional organiser, said: “Amazon is one of the most profitable companies on the planet. They made a fortune through the pandemic when people were unable to shop on the high street. Now, with household costs spiralling, the least they can do is offer their workers decent pay.”

An Amazon spokesperson said it was not true that colleagues were performing a go-slow, and also denied claims of a spread of protests to other factories.

At the Avonmouth facility in Bristol, which employs about 1,500 staff, 300 workers are understood to have stopped working again on Friday after walking out for two hours yesterday.

A spokesperson for Amazon said: “Starting pay for Amazon employees will be increasing to a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 an hour, depending on location. This is for all full-time, part-time, seasonal and temporary roles in the UK.

“In addition to this competitive pay, employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount among others, which combined are worth thousands annually, as well as a company pension plan.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Congressional Visit
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
×