- 14/06/2023
- Posted by: Valerie Vaz MP
- Category: News
On Wednesday 14 June in Parliament a meeting was organised by Taiwo Owatemi MP (Coventry North West) for MPs to meet the striking workers from Amazon Coventry BHX4 fulfilment centre. The GMB union have been working towards an application for recognition so that they can negotiate on behalf of the workforce. By December 2022 there were 1,400 hundred workers. GMB had signed up enough members to apply for recognition but by May 2023 Amazon signed up a further 1,400 new workers which the GMB considers to be a response to the growth in GMB membership. I signed the pledge board supporting the GMB’s fight for union rights.
Many of the workforce attended Parliament and it was good to hear their stories. One worker was off sick having had cancer only to be served with a warning letter for the time he had off on sick leave. Since starting a dispute over pay in August 2022 the union has made significant progress in building union density at Coventry despite the actions of Amazon trying to restrict access to workers and conversations within the building by the unions. Union officials were escorted by security from the moment they entered the site. I wished them well in their struggle for recognition.
