- Amazon bosses appear to be threatening to flood the
warehouse with up to 1,000 new staff in a bid to dodge their
legal obligations, says GMB Union
GMB union has today [11 May 2023] submitted a bid for formal
recognition at Amazon Coventry to the Central Arbitration
Committee.
The CAC - the Government body responsible for regulating
collective bargaining between workers and employers - will
now step in after a ten day opportunity for Amazon to resolve
recognition voluntarily ended. [1]
With more than 700 GMB members now at the Coventry
fulfilment centre, it's thought the legal threshold for mandatory
recognition – 51 per cent of the workforce – has now been
passed,
However, workers in the warehouse report bosses have threatened
to flood the site with up to 1,000 new staff in a bid to escape
their obligations to recognise the union.
The bid will now be considered by the Central Arbitration
Committee and would, if successful, be the first-time workers at
a UK Amazon site have won recognition of a trade union.
Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser,
said:
“Our members have been crystal clear since day one of their
industrial action; they expect their employer to talk pay with
their union.
“The fact Amazon have flat-out refused opportunities to do just
that underlines why GMB members at Amazon are so determined to
win this fight.
“Amazon bosses appear to be threatening to flood the
warehouse with up to 1,000 new staff in a bid to dodge their
legal obligations. They are running scared.
“With industrial action escalating to new fulfilment centres [2],
it’s clear Amazon are facing an historical moment that can no
longer ignore.
ENDS
Media enquiries: GMB Press Office on 07958
156846 or at press.office@gmb.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
[1] https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/coventry-amazon-workers-make-historic-bid-union-recognition
[2] https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/amazon-faces-fresh-strikes-two-more-warehouses
