Hundreds of Amazon workers will go on strike, marking the first time that the company's employees in the U.K. have gone on strike.
The workers at the Amazon warehouse in central England voted on Friday to go on strike in January 2023. People work at the facility.
The workers are unhappy with the pay increase of 50 pence per hour, which they say fails to match the rising cost of living. They would like Amazon to pay at least 15 dollars an hour.
Consumer prices are currently at a 41-year high due to increased energy costs. The Bank of England raised its interest rates on Thursday.
Amazon workers in the U.K. stopped working in August and November in protest of the pay increase, though they were not authorized to do so.
In the U.K., this will be the first legally mandated strike.
The workers of the city should be applauded for their determination, according to the senior organizers at the union.
They are being forced to go on strike to get a decent rate of pay from one of the world's most valuable companies.
It's possible that Amazon can do better. If you want to avoid strike action, get round the table with the union.
98% of the workers who voted went on strike because of the high turnout
In an email to CNBC, an Amazon spokesman said: "We appreciate the great work our teams do throughout the year and we're proud to offer competitive pay which starts at a minimum of between $12.50 and $11.45 per hour."
Since the beginning of the year, the minimum hourly wage has increased by 29 percent. Private medical insurance, life assurance, subsidised meals and an employee discount are just a few of the comprehensive benefits offered to employees.
Full-time, part-time and seasonal frontline employees will be given an additional one-time special payment of up to £500 as a thank you.
The company has been accused of poor working conditions in its delivery operations. The first group in the US to vote in favor of joining a union was the staff at the company's Staten Island warehouse.
There is a wave of industrial action happening across the nation. Upcoming strike actions have been announced by nurses, rail workers, postal workers, ambulance workers, airport staff, border force agents, highway workers, Eurostar staff, civil servants, bus drivers, firefighters, charity workers, meteorologists and offshore workers.
The report was contributed to by CNBC.
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