Hundreds of Amazon workers stage first-ever U.K. strike

By Scott Kanowsky

Investing.com -- Hundreds of Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) workers in the U.K. are holding their first-ever strike in the country to protest against what they describe as "derisory" salary bumps offered by the tech giant.

Around 300 workers at an Amazon warehouse in the city of Coventry have gone on strike, according to the GMB Union.

GMB Union members voted in December to go forward with the labor action after Amazon offered to raise pay for the workers by 50p per hour. More than 98% of the employees voted in favor of the walk-out.

Amazon told Bloomberg News in a statement that it is "proud" of the wages it gives to its workers, saying that it has pay packages starting at a minimum of £10.50 to £11.45 (£1 = $1.231) per hour. The U.K. is set to boost its national living wage for adults aged 23 and above to £10.42 from £9.50 in April.

The strike comes as Amazon grapples with a moderation in customer demand following a pandemic-era boom. The trend has led the group to announce sweeping job cuts and scrap plans to open new warehouse sites.

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