Amazon warehouse workers in UK strike, rally for union recognition

Vol. 88/No. 14 - April 8, 2024
Workers rally at Amazon warehouse in Coventry, England, March 19, part of two-day strike to win union recognition. “Our fight has worldwide importance,” said Darren Westwood.

COVENTRY, England — Hundreds of Amazon workers picketed outside the large Amazon BHX4 warehouse here March 19, the first of two days of strike action organized by the General Municipal and Boilermakers union in their fight for union recognition.  They…


Refuse workers in London win pay raise after strike

Vol. 87/No. 25 - July 10, 2023

WELWYN GARDEN CITY, England — Refuse workers here and in Hatfield, towns north of London, returned to work June 23 after striking for better pay four days earlier. Employed by the waste-collection outfit Urbaser, more than 90 members of the…


UK Uber drivers discuss how to advance fight for a union

Vol. 85/No. 17 - May 3, 2021

LONDON — After a five-year legal battle by taxi drivers and their union, the Supreme Court ruled Feb. 19 that Uber should recognize its drivers as workers and pay them the minimum wage and holiday pay. Drivers are discussing how…


Asda store workers in U.K. rally against concessions contract

Vol. 83/No. 33 - September 9, 2019

LEEDS, England — Hundreds of Asda store workers marched here Aug. 14 past the company’s headquarters to protest a new concessions contract with the retail chain. It would allow bosses to arbitrarily switch workers’ shift schedules and eliminate pay for…


UK gov’t revoking citizenship is blow to workers’ rights

Vol. 83/No. 14 - April 8, 2019

LONDON — The government’s decision to revoke the citizenship of Shamima Begum, who left the U.K. at the age of 15 to join Islamic State in Syria, has stirred heated discussion here. The capitalist rulers in a number of countries…


UK Uber drivers strike 24 hours over pay, right to join union

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018
Uber workers in London march around company office Oct. 9 during 24-hour strike, demanding drivers be treated as workers, not contractors, with improved pay and right to join a union.

LONDON — Hundreds of angry drivers chanted “Shame on Uber” as they marched around the Aldgate office of Uber U.K. here Oct. 9. Noisy drumbeats accompanied the chanting. The action marked the beginning of a 24-hour strike by Uber drivers…


Widespread support for 2-day U.K. hospital workers strike

Vol. 82/No. 23 - June 11, 2018

WIGAN, England — “I am proud of what we have done. They thought we were the small people. They thought they could get away with this outsourcing, but we’ve showed them we are not minions,” Amanda Grimes, a cleaner and…


Workers celebrate victory in nine-month-long fight at Mears

Vol. 82/No. 11 - March 19, 2018

MANCHESTER, England — After a nine-months battle, and more than 80 days of strike protests, the 180 housing maintenance workers employed by the contractor Mears won a 20 percent pay raise. Their main demand was to end the wage differential…