First-ever union recognition votes are being cast by Amazon UK employees

On Wednesday, officials will go to the IT company’s West Midlands headquarters to start the legally-mandated voting procedure

The GMB union’s representatives have started a month-long voting process at Amazon’s Coventry depot, bringing the internet company’s employees closer to union registration for the first time. In order to perform the legally binding poll, GMB officials will visit the West Midlands location on Wednesday after receiving authorization from the independent Central Arbitration Committee. An earlier request for voluntary recognition was turned down by Amazon.

The first time Amazon has recognised a union in the UK would occur if workers vote in favour of recognition, allowing the GMB to represent them in negotiations over wages and working conditions.

More than two thousand employees will be required to show up for a series of 45-minute meetings with union leaders starting on Wednesday. Additionally, there will be separate sessions with the company where each party will make their case.

The results will be made public after July 15th. Voting will start on July 8th at work.

Senior GMB organiser Amanda Gearing declared, “Amazon is one of the world’s most hostile and anti-union employers.” The firm, valued at several billions of pounds, is making considerable attempts to hinder Coventry’s working class residents’ aspirations for a better standard of living.

Amazon has attempted to undermine the union, but Coventry employees have rejected this. Decisions will now be made by the employees rather than the management.

Employees in the large warehouse have previously expressed worries about what they saw as Amazon’s anti-union tactics. These contained QR codes positioned all around the place that, upon scanning, immediately triggered the cancellation of union membership by email to the GMB.

The ballot is the result of the GMB’s ten-year endeavour to gain traction within the organisation. For more than a year, Coventry workers have been on strike in support of their demands for representation in negotiations and a pay of £15 per hour.

They had the support of trade union members from Amazon’s offices in the US and continental Europe on the picket line during last November’s Black Friday.

The union will replicate the successes of New York-based trade unionists who have fought for the right to form a union if they win the recognition referendum.

The GMB needs a majority of votes on the poll to be recognised. The “yes” votes also need to come from at least 40% of the on-site employees.

If the Labour Party wins the general election on July 4, it will present a “new deal for working people” that includes a promise to give unions more power.

“This is a crucial opportunity for Amazon employees to improve their pay, working conditions, and have an independent voice in the workplace,” stated Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak. Rather than showing gratitude for their employees, the firm has made a concerted attempt to undermine their ability to organise. Their anti-union activities highlight the critical need for a new agreement for working people and are unacceptable in modern-day Britain.”

A representative for Amazon said, “Our employees have always had the opportunity to choose whether or not to join a union. We place a lot of emphasis on having regular discussions and interaction with our staff at Amazon. Our direct interaction is valued by both us and our employees, and this approach is strongly embedded in our work culture.”

The company’s minimal starting salary increased by 20% over the course of two years, to a range of £12.30 to £13 per hour, according to the spokeswoman.