GMB has accused Amazon of resorting to “union-busting” tactics at its warehouse in the Midlands, with a workplace message board telling workers: and you.Labor unions want talks for you. “
The claims come as unions prepare for three days of strike action next week at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse, known as BHX4, as part of a labor dispute that has been going on for more than a year. Staff are demanding a pay rise to £15 an hour and the right to negotiate with the company over pay and conditions.
The Guardian has seen photos from information boards and internal newsletters that GMB claims were on display at BHX4 and other Amazon warehouses in the region. These will display messages similar to the following: ‘The union wants to pay you £14.37 a month to represent you. We believe there should be no price to pay for having your voice heard’, ‘Make your voice heard’ You don’t have to join a union to do it. We’ve got you.”
Another says: “Before you vote or join a union, we encourage you to research the facts for yourself. The best relationships are direct relationships.”
Gary Smith, general secretary of the GMB, said: “What do you want to call it? One of the richest companies in the world working on union-busting right here in the UK.”
He added that GMB members in Coventry “refuse to give in to Amazon’s union busting and they will get the pay and recognition they deserve.”
TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell, who visited the Coventry picket line last year, said: “Rather than giving workers the respect they deserve, Amazon will do everything in their power to stop workers from organizing for better pay. “I’m working on it,” he said. and conditions. “
GMB’s latest criticism of Amazon comes as the company prepares for a new battle to gain formal recognition in Coventry. The union last year withdrew its application to the Independent Central Arbitration Commission (CAC) and ordered Amazon to add at least 1,000 additional workers to prevent GMB from proving it represented a clear majority of its front-line workers. accused of conscripting people into military service.
The company denied the allegations and said the recruitment of new staff was done as a result of normal business requirements. A concerted membership recruitment campaign continues on the ground, and GMB said it plans to submit a new application to the CAC this spring.
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“We respect our employees’ right to join or not to join a labor union,” an Amazon spokesperson said.
Source: www.theguardian.com
