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First strike of Amazon workers in the United Kingdom: “The cost of living has gone crazy”

First strike of Amazon workers in the United Kingdom: “The cost of living has gone crazy”

The workers of Amazon in a warehouse in the center of England they have started a strike this Wednesday demanding better wages, being the first time that the operations of the American technology company in Great Britain are facing such a situation.

Stuart Richardsof the GMB union, tells Reuters that rising inflation has pushed its members to take industrial action and that 300 of GMB’s 350-member staff at the Coventry headquarters were expected to back the strike.

“These workers have to work incredibly long shifts just to try to make ends meet, just to try to feed their families. We have to be better than that,” she denounces.

For its part, Amazon claims that only 178 of its 2,000 workers in the warehouse they had voted in favor of the strike.

The strike is only the latest in Britain, which is facing its worst industrial unrest since Margaret Thatcher She was prime minister, with personnel from key sectors such as health workers or transporters, organizing strikes in the fight for better wages.

amazon, what employs 75,000 people across the UKraised the starting wage by 50 pence to a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 ($12.95 to $14.12) an hour last year, compared with a minimum wage in Britain that will rise to £10 .42 in April.

Darren Westwood, who has worked at the Coventry headquarters for three and a half years, tells Reuters that the last salary increase was not enoughas wage growth has lagged inflation, which hit a 41-year high of 11.1% at one point last year.

None of us want to strike. We would all rather be indoors in the heat than be drinking tea out here in the cold, but now it has reached a point where the cost of living has gone crazy,” she laments.

An Amazon spokesman said the company already offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Asked if they officially recognized the union’s role in wage negotiations, the spokesperson said: “Having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees. Our employees have the choice to join a union or not. We always do. have made”.

Source: Lasexta

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