The GMB union has just lost its bid to be officially recognized at the Amazon warehouse in Coventry. Out of the workers who voted, 49.5% supported the union, while 50.5% opposed it.
The union needed more than half of the votes to win. This loss means Amazon won’t have to negotiate with workers about pay and conditions.
If the GMB had won, it would have been the first time Amazon recognized a union in the UK. Amazon stated it values direct communication with its staff and looks forward to continuing this with the Coventry team.
The union claimed they lost by just 28 votes and accused Amazon of trying to prevent the union from forming, saying the company held anti-union seminars. Despite the loss, the GMB vowed to keep fighting for better conditions for low-paid workers.
The union’s efforts began in the summer of 2022 when Amazon workers, upset over a small pay rise, walked out in protest. The GMB then encouraged these workers to unionize. By January 2023, Coventry workers held the first-ever Amazon strike in the UK, and over time, union membership grew.
The GMB also claimed that Amazon tried to get workers to cancel their union memberships, and they plan to continue a legal challenge on this matter.
Amazon, one of the UK’s largest private employers with 75,000 workers, has always preferred direct communication with employees and reiterated this after the vote.
The GMB noted the courage of an immigrant workforce, many from South Asia, who grew more confident in their strike actions over time.
The narrow loss is a setback for unions, which hoped a new Labour government would make it easier for unions to organize. Despite this, the union movement remains hopeful for stronger workers’ rights in the future.
This summary is based on reporting by the BBC .
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8vd72zrpr1o