Amazon workers will stage the first-ever UK strike against the online retail giant today in a protest over pay, reports BBC News. Members of the GMB union are walking out at Amazon's Coventry warehouse over what they call a ‘derisory’ 50p an hour pay rise. Workers told the BBC about ‘severe" conditions’, claiming they are constantly monitored and upbraided for ‘idle time’ lasting just a few minutes. Two Amazon workers, who are members of the GMB, also said the robots in the warehouse ‘are treated better than us’. They told the BBC how even a trip to the toilet can lead to questions by managers. They said that managers track staff performance and time that is not spent scanning items is accrued. Instead of scanning, workers might be asked to handle pallets to make up for ‘idle time’.

A spokesman for Amazon said, "Performance is only measured when an employee is at their station and logged in to do their job.” The spokesman added, "We appreciate the great work our teams do throughout the year and we're proud to offer competitive pay which starts at a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 per hour, depending on location." He said this is a 29% increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon employees since 2018. But unions members want to be paid £15 an hour.

Of the 1,500 workers at Amazon's Coventry site, around 300 are expected to strike on Wednesday. “Amazon said, “A tiny proportion of our workforce is involved. In fact, according to the verified figures, only a fraction of 1% of our UK employees voted in the ballot and that includes those who voted against industrial action."