Lawyers go on strike outside the High Criminal Court in London (Old Bailey) to secure a fee increase, June 27, 2022. TAYFUN SALCI/ZUMA PRESS/MAXPPP
Anger erupted at the Amazon warehouse in Tilbury, east London, on Wednesday, August 3, when management announced the offer made to staff: an extra 35 pence (41 euro cents) for the common traders, bringing their salary to 11. Increased 45 pounds (13.55 euros) per hour. That’s an increase of 3%, while inflation in the UK reached 9.4% in June.
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This news caused a stir in the company canteen. Videos posted on social media show executives trying to appease the anger of those around them. Vain. A large part of the employees refused to return to their jobs, which disrupted the operation of the warehouse for 48 hours. Tension spread and wildcat strikes briefly reached the Coventry and Bristol sites.
“People are in such tight financial situations… I see so much desperation,” said Steve Garelick, GMB union representative who is following the situation on the ground. So if they’re offered 35p, of course they’re pissed. He delivered a letter to the e-commerce giant’s UK headquarters calling for base wages to be raised to £15 an hour. Amazon responds that it has “raised wages to a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 an hour, depending on location, a 29% increase since 2018”.
On Saturday, August 13th, the rail system will be shut down for the fourth time since June 20th
The Amazon case is symptomatic of a widespread and unprecedented movement of social discontent across the English Channel. On Saturday 13 August, nine train companies – the bulk of Britain’s trains – will go on strike. This is the fourth time since June 20 that the rail system has been shut down, with two unions taking turns on strikes. These also took place on buses, the London Underground, some universities, pubs and at BT (formerly British Telecom).
The lawyers have also been protesting with strikes every two weeks since the end of June in order to achieve an increase in the fees for the cases assigned to them. “It’s the summer of discontent,” said Mr Garelick, a term reminiscent of the winter of discontent of 1979 when the country was paralyzed by work stoppages, both in factories and among garbage collectors or gravediggers.
“The unions are brought to their knees”
It’s just a start. Postmen and dockers have announced strikes for August. On Tuesday August 9, the Royal College of Nursing, the nurses’ union, recommended its members to stop work for the first time in their history of more than a hundred years, as part of a movement due to take place in October. The National Education also prepares social actions in the fall.
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