Amazon workers in UK to vote on strike amid elevated inflation (update)
Teamjackson

The first potential strike of Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) workers in the UK will be voted on by workers at a Coventry warehouse, according to a statement from the GMB union.
The Seattle-based e-commerce giant recently offered to increase its hourly pay to Â£11.45, though that offer has been seen as insufficient. The GMB union said that the modest pay-rise offer aroused anger among warehouse workers. 
âThese Amazon workers will be the first ever in the UK to take part in a formal strike ballot â they're making history,â GMB Senior Organizer Amanda Gearing said. âTheyâre being offered 35p an hour during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation â and thatâs from a company worth more than Â£1 trillion. Understandably, they are furious.â
According to the Office for National Statistics, the CPI rose by 9.9% year over year in August 2022, down from 10.1% in July.
The union said that the ballot will close on October 19, with any subsequent labor action likely to take place in November. 
An Amazon representative told SeekingAlpha that the union motion ignores a number of concessions the company made in recent years.
âStarting pay for Amazon employees has increased to a minimum of between Â£10.50 and Â£11.45 per hour, depending on location. This represents a 29 percent increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon associates since 2018," he said. "On top of this, employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidized meals, an employee discount and more, which combined are worth thousands of pounds annually, as well as a company pension plan.â
Read more on benefits additions and union battles for Amazon in the US.