Amazon Black Friday strike: Know why hundreds of Coventry workers are protesting

At a time when the shopping season is picking up pace with Black Friday kicking off, a strike by hundreds of employees in one of the e-commerce giants is in the news.

Hundreds of Amazon staff have gone on strike gathered outside the firm's Coventry site resulting in disruption during the shopping season. The staff has been demanding a pay hike.

According to Members of the GMB union, strikes are also taking place in Europe and the United States, and termed the strike as the biggest walkout in Amazon history.


Meanwhile, Amazon has said that the strike will not affect their customers. The GBM Union said that more than 1,000 workers were taking part on Friday with 800 on the picket line.

Recently, Amazon announced that it would increase the minimum starting pay to £12.30 and £13 per hour by April depending on location. However, the union has asked for at least £15 besides better working conditions.

GMB senior organizer Stuart Richards who is at the picket in Coventry said that the offer from Amazon "isn't enough". Adding that the workers deserve decent pay from the company that is making a huge profit.

He also called the strike a global wake-up call for Amazon and the firm cannot keep ignoring the concerns of the workers across the world.

Reacting to the strike Amazon's Spokesperson said that the firm regularly reviews the pay so that it offers competitive wages and benefits. "By April 2024, our minimum starting pay will have increased to £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location - that's a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018," the firm said.

Notably, the strike occurred two days after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said in his Autumn Statement that starting in April, the National Living Wage will increase from £10.42 to £11.44 per hour. Amazon, on the other hand, claimed that its pay already exceeded that amount and beyond the voluntary Real Living Wage, which is £12 per hour for employees outside of London.

FAQs:

Why are Amazon workers on strike?
The workers of Amazon have gone on strike demanding a hike in the minimum starting wage.

Where is Coventry and why is it in the news?
Coventry is a city in Central England. The city is in the news due to a strike called by Amazon workers.