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Amazon UK could be forced to recognise first union

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Amazon UK could be forced to recognise first union

The GMB union claims to have enrolled a majority of workers in Amazon's Coventry warehouse, which qualifies them for legal recognition. The union has now written to the corporation for recognition. Read More: Amazon UK warehouse closures put 1,200 jobs at risk Amazon says it "respects its employees' rights to choose to join or not join a labour union". After a decade of trying, the GMB thinks it is on the verge of a historic win. If successful, Amazon would have to negotiate compensation, holidays, and sick leave with employees. Amazon has ten business days to reply. Read More: Amazon and Microsoft could face UK investigation over cloud services market It stated remuneration is reviewed on a regular basis and that starting pay was between £11 and £12 per hour. A spokesperson said: "Over the past seven months, our minimum pay has risen by 10% and by more than 37% since 2018."
The Amazon distribution centre in Coventry is estimated to employ 1,300 people, according to the union. It claims a majority of its members - roughly 700 - have joined the GMB, indicating that it has passed the statutory recognition criterion. Read More: UK Amazon workers strike again in row over pay Darren Westwood, who works at the warehouse and has been instrumental in getting people to join the union, said it's "fantastic" recognition could happen soon. He said: "It's just so exciting because we've taken on one of the biggest companies in the world and won." If Amazon does not provide recognition, the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), which is in charge of settling recognition issues, may be requested to step in. Read More: Amazon workers ‘determined to win’ company’s first ever UK strike If the CAC is convinced a majority of the workforce wants the union to represent them, it may automatically give recognition. To demonstrate support for this, the workforce may be required to vote. Workers at the Coventry warehouse began protesting their wages in August of last year, when just 30 of them were members of the GMB. In January, they staged the first-ever Amazon strike in the United Kingdom. Since then, depending on location, the corporation has raised its minimal starting rate to between £11 and £12 per hour. The union wants the hourly salary to be £15 per hour. Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career But the dispute has always been about more than money. Mr Westwood said a union was needed because, "it sometimes feels as if the management has no humanity". Having a union, he said, was "about having that person on your side. It's about having protection in your back pocket." Source: BBC Follow us on YouTubeTwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook