'Just the beginning': GMB launches legal action against Amazon as workers lose union vote

Amazon workers have failed to achieve enough support for union recognition in the UK, the results of a landmark ballot have shown.

More than 3,000 workers at the company’s Coventry warehouse were asked if they wanted to be represented by the GMB union.

But the union fell “agonisingly short” – 49.5% of the 2,600 workers who voted backed union recognition, falling shy of a majority.

It means the GMB cannot officially represent its membership among the workforce.

‘Just the beginning’

A legal claim has been launched by GMB against the tech giant for pressuring workers to cancel their union membership during the ballot period.

It vowed to keep the fight for recognition going.

“This is just the beginning”, it said. “The fire lit by workers in Coventry and across the UK is still burning”.

It will be another three years before GMB can reapply for statutory recognition though Amazon could voluntarily recognise the union.

Anti-union messages

The GMB, which has staged a long-running campaign for better pay and rights across Amazon’s UK operations, has said “workers had been bombarded with an unrelenting campaign of anti-union messages”.

“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.”

Amazon has maintained its employees have always had the right to union membership.

A statement from Amazon said: “Across Amazon, we place enormous value on engaging directly with our employees and having daily conversations with them. 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.

“We look forward to continuing on that path with our team in Coventry.”

In relation to anti-union sessions, the company said: “Throughout the ballot process, attendance at Amazon employee meetings was entirely voluntary. Employees were informed of this when they were invited to a meeting and also at the start of each meeting.

“The GMB held similar meetings with our employees on site, which were also voluntary.”