COVENTRY, England — Some 200 warehouse workers and their supporters marched and rallied outside the Amazon plant here Feb. 13. They were part of over 1,000 members of the General Municipal and Boilermakers union who struck for better wages and union recognition at Amazon Feb. 13-15.
“What do we want? 15 pounds! When do we want it? Now!” workers chanted.
“Everything is getting more expensive, like food and electricity,” striker Darren Westwood told the Militant. “We really need the 15 pounds [$18.75]! We’re not begging, we’re telling them we need it.” Several workers reported making 12 pounds an hour.
Henry Dye showed this reporter his electric bill. “It was 348 pounds last month, up from 140 to 150 last year. And I live in a tiny one-bedroom flat.” Dye said more workers are joining the union at the same time that Amazon is hiring.
“Our pay is so low, that’s why we depend on working overtime,” Ceterina Floresca said. “We shouldn’t have to work overtime. We all need to spend that time with our families.” Many workers are forced to work 60 hours each week. “Amazon made 570 billion pounds last year and they can’t give us three pounds more an hour?” Ferdousara Uddin, a GMB regional organizer, told the rally. Workers at the plant had struck for three days last November.