Amazon.com Inc. is facing a new challenge as its workers in the UK are seeking unionization. The GMB, one of the UK's largest trade unions, has officially applied for union recognition on behalf of its members who work at an Amazon distribution center in Coventry, located in England's West Midlands. If successful, this would be the first British labor group to win the right to negotiate with the US tech giant, giving its workers increased bargaining power through direct negotiations over pay and the right to have union representatives within the warehouse.
Amazon employees in Coventry have already staged strikes in protest against pay rises that fall below the UK’s stubbornly high level of inflation. Staff at two other warehouses are also being balloted for potential industrial action. However, by formally unionizing, workers in Coventry would be able to negotiate directly with Amazon over pay and conditions, as well as having the right to have union representatives within the warehouse.
This move echoes a long-running battle in the US where Amazon has challenged widespread attempts at unionization. Last year, staff at a New York fulfillment center won a surprise victory in their fight for greater labor rights. However, it remains the only unionized Amazon facility in the US. Amanda Gearing, a senior organizer for the GMB, said Amazon had “flat-out refused” to negotiate pay with the union, which was a key reason for pursuing official recognition. She added that more than 700 workers in Coventry were members of the GMB, passing a threshold of 51% needed to be recognized as a union.
Amazon employs around 75,000 workers across the UK as a whole. The GMB has started the process by writing to the Central Arbitration Committee, an official tribunal body that deals with workplace disputes. The dispute could drag on for months, including time for Amazon to challenge the application.
Blair Adams, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood LLP who specializes in employment law, said, “It’s going to be a bit of a pass or fail for Amazon, I think. If the GMB has got the relevant thresholds for support, I can’t see why they won’t get recognition.”
The GMB is also balloting members at Amazon warehouses in Rugeley and Mansfield for strike action at those sites, and the result of the ballots is due on June 9.
In response to the unionization efforts, an Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement, “Amazon respects our employees’ rights to join, or not to join, a union. We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern, work environment.”