Amazon Workers In Coventry Fail To Form Union

The battle between Amazon and trade unions in the United Kingdom had another twist this week, after a union recognition ballot failed after a very close vote.

Amazon workers in Coventry lost a union recognition ballot by just 28 votes, amid allegations from the GMB union of union-busting tactics by the e-commerce giant.

Back in 2023 the GMB union had petitioned the government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to become the first trade union in the UK to be officially recognised by Amazon.

Union recognition

It said at the time that 800 staff at the Coventry site were members and that this represented more than half of the workers at the warehouse, the usual threshold for mandatory union recognition.

Later in the year the GMB trade union said that more than 1,000 workers at the Amazon Coventry warehouse would strike for four days in November 2023, including on the typically busy Black Friday, over a dispute about a pay increase.

A series of strikes hit the Coventry facility since January this year.

The GMB campaign seemed to have paid off after workers were granted the right to hold a legally binding vote in April 2024 by the CAC.

Amazon had apparently rejected a request for voluntary recognition. The ballot process was overseen by independent advisers, appointed by the CAC.

But according to the GMB union, “49.5 percent of the 2,600 workers who voted backed union recognition, falling short by just 28 votes.”

If staff had voted to support recognition, the GMB would have been given the right to represent them in negotiations over pay and conditions in what would have been the first instance of Amazon recognising a union in the United Kingdom.

It would also have been the first time the internet retailer’s workers had won the right of recognition outside the US.

Union-busting?

The GMB union alleged the vote came just weeks after “union-busting tactics at the Coventry site were exposed when it was revealed workers had been bombarded with an unrelenting campaign of anti-union messages by company bosses, including multiple anti-union seminars.”

Amazon apparently now faces an outstanding legal challenge – known as an Inducement Claim – for pressuring workers into cancelling their union membership during the ballot period.

“Our members have come agonisingly close to winning today and GMB will carry on the fight for the pay and recognition they deserve,” said Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser. “Amazon bosses have created a culture of fear for low paid workers trying to improve their pay, terms and conditions.”

“From day one Amazon have been relentless in their attacks on their own workforce,” said Gearing. “We’ve seen workers pressured into attending six hours of anti-union seminars on top of the fortune spent by Amazon bosses to scare workers.”

“Workers have been told they will get no pay rise this year and will have to lose even more benefits if they vote for union recognition,” said Gearing. “This kind of union-busting has no place in 21st century Britain; but this is just the beginning. Amazon now faces a legal challenge, while the fire lit by workers in Coventry and across the UK is still burning.”

Amazon response

Under current rules, a union cannot reapply for recognition for the same group of workers for three years after losing a ballot.

However the new Labour government has said it will make the process of winning recognition easier, as part of its new deal for working people.

“We want to thank everyone who voted in this ballot,” Amazon was quoted as saying by the Guardian newspaper. “Across Amazon, we place enormous value on engaging directly with our employees and having daily conversations with them. It’s an essential part of our work culture. We value that direct relationship and so do our employees.”

“This is why we’ve always worked hard to listen to them, act on their feedback, and invest heavily in great pay, benefits and skills development – all in a safe and inclusive workplace with excellent career opportunities.”