Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has called on Amazon to meet with the GMB union and agree a fair pay deal with staff.
Gwynne’s intervention comes after more than 700 Amazon workers in England walked out two weeks ago in a dispute over pay. The GMB Union has been campaigning for almost a decade for better pay and conditions for Amazon staff, yet have received little or no engagement from the tech giant.
Walkouts occurred after Amazon responded to the cost-of-living crisis by offering workers a 35p pay rise. This would amount to just £10 extra a week, and was roundly criticised by staff and unions as being wholly insufficient.
Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:
“I find it staggering that a company like Amazon is refusing to engage with unions in agreeing a fair pay deal with staff.
Amazon has a global net worth of $1.6 trillion, and last year generated £4.8bn in turnover in the UK in 2020. For them to pretend that they can’t pay staff properly would be laughable if it wasn’t so infuriating.
Amazon need to meet with GMB representatives, and get a pay deal sorted that reflects the hard work and dedication of staff”
Gwynne’s full letter to Amazon’s UK CEO can be read here.