LONDON (Reuters) – More than 1,000 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Britain will go on strike for four days next month, including on the Black Friday discount shopping day, due to a dispute over pay, according to the GMB trade union.
The GMB announced that the workers at the Coventry site in central England will walk out from November 7th to November 9th, with an additional strike planned for November 24th, which coincides with Black Friday.
This news comes amid increasing tensions between Amazon and its workers over working conditions and wages. The GMB, one of Britain’s largest trade unions, has been campaigning for better wages and working conditions for Amazon employees.
Amazon has faced criticism in recent years for its treatment of warehouse workers. Workers have reported long hours, excessive workloads, and strict productivity targets. The company has also been accused of union-busting tactics and of monitoring employees’ activities to prevent unionization efforts.
The GMB has accused Amazon of paying certain workers lower wages and denying them basic employment rights. The union argues that the company’s massive profits should be used to improve workers’ pay and conditions.
The strike action planned for November is expected to cause disruptions to Amazon’s operations, especially during the busy Black Friday period when the company usually experiences a significant increase in sales. Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, with retailers offering major discounts.
Amazon has not yet responded to the announcement of the strike action. The company has a history of resisting unions and has previously argued that it offers competitive pay and benefits to its employees. However, the growing number of worker strikes and the ongoing pressure from trade unions indicate that the issue of workers’ rights at Amazon is far from resolved.
The GMB is calling on Amazon to engage in meaningful negotiations and to improve the pay and working conditions for its employees. The union has also urged the public to support the striking workers by boycotting Amazon during the strike period.
It remains to be seen how Amazon will respond to the strike action and whether it will have any impact on the company’s operations and sales during the important Black Friday period.
Reporting by Sarah Young, writing by Farouq Suleiman; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar
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