Workers at a new Amazon distribution centre in Birmingham have voted to strike later this month.

GMB Union on Tuesday said that around 100 workers at the warehouse will stage a walkout on 25 January, joining ongoing strike action at the company.

The new £500 million Birmingham fulfilment centre, which opened its doors at the end of 2023, will be the third Amazon workplace to face strike action, the union said. It noted that the company faced nearly 30 days of strike action in 2023, culminating with a walkout of more than 1,000 staff on Black Friday in November.

Amazon workers across the UK have campaigned for improved working standards and higher pay. Amazon has said that it would raise minimum starting pay to £12.30-13 an hour by April, but the offer has been derided by unions.

Rachel Fagan, GMB organiser, said: “For workers to down tools at Amazon’s new Birmingham HQ, just weeks after it opened its doors, goes to show how furious Amazon workers in the UK are.

“One year on from the first strike day the message from GMB members at Amazon is the same; recognise our union and end poverty pay.”

In comments provided to Reuters, a spokesperson for Amazon said that the action would cause “zero disruption” to customers, and said that only 19 union members out of 2,000 employees at the warehouse voted in favour of the strike.

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