Amazon Announces Significant Salary Increase for Wales Staff
E-commerce giant Amazon, a key employer with 2,000 personnel in Wales, has revealed a remarkable rise in starting pay for frontline operation workers that surpasses inflation rates. Beginning later this month, a 9.8% surge in salaries will be implemented. In Wales, workers will now start at £28,080, while those in or near London, including Bristol and Swindon, will see a starting pay of £30,160. This move, substantially higher than the current inflation rate of 2%, will benefit thousands of Amazon employees nationwide.
- Amazon employs 1,400 workers in Swansea and an additional 600 in Newport, Port Talbot, and Deeside.
- The company is the sixth largest private sector employer in the UK with approximately 75,000 employees.
- Globally, Amazon’s workforce totals 1.5 million.
- Since 2022, Amazon has invested £550m in increased pay for UK operations employees, reflecting a 35% surge in the hourly rate within two years.
The enhanced hourly rates, ranging from £13.50 to £14.50 depending on location, apply to full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers. For employees with over three years of service, hourly rates will range from £13.75 to £14.75. Amazon’s UK country manager, John Boumphrey, expressed pride in the frontline employees and emphasized the company’s commitment to offering competitive benefits and career growth opportunities from day one.
“Our frontline employees across the UK operations network are a huge part of the success of our business and we appreciate everything they do to deliver for our customers.”
Notably, Amazon does not utilize zero-hour contracts and offers flexible term-time arrangements for workers with school-aged children. Although a recent ballot at the Coventry fulfilment center for union recognition resulted in a narrow loss, TUC continues to advocate for union recognition at Amazon in the UK. Igniting discussions on workers’ rights, this bold salary increase by Amazon could set a precedent for other large corporations to follow suit and prioritize fair compensation and benefits for their workforce.