An historic bid to win union recognition by workers at Amazon’s warehouse in Coventry has been narrowly defeated by a handful of votes.
The vote, organised by union GMB, saw 49.5% of workers in favour, with 50.5% against the proposal. The difference amounted to just 28 votes.
The GMB said the vote fell “agonisingly short” and accused Amazon of “union-busting”.
It pointed to the retailer’s concerted efforts to encourage workers not to support union recognition, with managers delivering “anti-union messages” and the company holding multiple ”anti-union seminars” at the warehouse.
GMB organiser Stuart Richards said workers had been told they would get no pay rise this year and would lose benefits if they voted for union recognition.
“This kind of union-busting has no place in 21st-century Britain; it’s clear Amazon cannot be trusted to play by the rules that all other companies in the UK are expected to follow,” he said.
If the GMB had won it would have been the first time Amazon recognised a union in the UK and would have forced the online giant to negotiate with workers on issues such as pay and conditions.
Under current rules, a union cannot reapply for recognition for the same group of workers for three years after losing a ballot.
However GMB said it is considering trying again to get recognition at the Coventry site and that discussions are taking place about its strategy.
The process would include persuading the Central Arbitration Committee, which is in charge of overseeing applications for recognition, that the pool of workers eligible to vote had increased.
GMB is also continuing with its legal challenge against Amazon, launched in April. The union claims Amazon used underhand tactics to encourage members to cancel their union membership, and created a culture of fear at the warehouse.
Responding to the vote, Amazon said: “We want to thank everyone who voted in this ballot. Across Amazon, we place enormous value on engaging directly with our employees and having daily conversations with them. It’s an essential part of our work culture. We value that direct relationship and so do our employees.
“This is why we’ve always worked hard to listen to them, act on their feedback, and invest heavily in great pay, benefits and skills development – all in a safe and inclusive workplace with excellent career opportunities.”
TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, said. “This is not the end. Our movement will regroup and will continue to shine a light on bad employers.”
