'Tens of thousands' of workers in UK expected to benefit from pay raise – but it's not enough, says union
The salaries of Amazon UK's frontline employees will increase by at least 9.8% starting September 29.
Amazon announced that the minimum starting pay for frontline employees will rise to between £13.50 and £14.50 per hour, depending on their location.
Those who have been with the company for at least three years will see their pay increase to between £13.75 and £14.75 per hour.
According to Amazon, the latest pay hike is expected to benefit "tens of thousands" of frontline employees in the UK.
It also brings Amazon's total increase in the hourly rate to 35% in two years, equivalent to an investment of £550 million in pay hikes.
Meanwhile, all employees joining Amazon will receive benefits worth more than £700 annually, which cover:
- Private medical insurance
- Life assurance
- Income protection
- Subsidised meals
- Employee discount
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, said the latest measures demonstrate the organisation's appreciation for its frontline staff.
"We're increasing our minimum starting pay for all frontline employees to the equivalent of more than £28,000 a year, and we continue to offer industry-leading benefits from Day One, as well as outstanding opportunities for our employees to start and grow a great career," Boumphrey said in a statement.
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'Too little, too late'
Meanwhile, the GMB union has criticised Amazon's pay hike as "too little, too late."
"Amazon's reputation is in the gutter over its treatment of its own workers, and now company bosses are trying to plaster over the facts," said Rachel Fagan, GMB organiser, in a statement.
GMB has been advocating for a £15-an-hour minimum wage at Amazon and the right to negotiate directly with management, which led to a series of strikes over the past 18 months.
The union has also been trying to get formally recognised by Amazon, but a statutory vote in July among employees at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry rejected this.