Adam Harmsworth, Coventry Socialist Party
On 7-9 November, over 1,000 Amazon workers at Coventry ‘BHX4’ site went back out on strike after another insulting pay award. Amazon’s latest pay rises will have the lowest-paid workers on £12.30 an hour by April. This is far off the £15 an hour demanded by the workers.
It couldn’t be clearer that the wages aren’t enough, when workers are grabbing every bit of overtime available. Amazon workers on the picket line have told Socialist Party members that overtime is gone almost as soon as it is offered, with many workers doing 60-hour weeks!
The striking GMB members have shown they are eager to break this cruel cycle of poverty and overworking. On Wednesday, a team went from BHX4 to another Amazon ‘fulfilment centre’ to convince more workers to join the union and to strike. Reportedly over 2,000 GMB flyers were given out! There is also an upcoming strike ballot at Amazon’s Sutton Coldfield site.
The next strike day is 24 November – Black Friday – coordinated with strikes at Amazon sites internationally.
The latest Socialist Party strike bulletin raised the importance of breaking the isolation at BHX4. The bulletin also has a focus on the unavoidable issue of the horrendous attack on Gaza. Many strikers eagerly bought the Socialist on the picket line after seeing the front page on Gaza and discussing the crisis with us.
Our bulletin pointed out how Starmer’s Labour, funded by GMB, is failing to stand up for workers and the oppressed both in Gaza and in Britain. GMB should support candidates that support its members, and work towards building a mass democratic party of the working class.
