Amazon staff target Valentine's Day with strike

More than 1,000 Amazon staff are set to stage a three-day strike over the Valentine's Day period.

Members of the GMB union at the firm's Coventry site are locked in a pay dispute with their employer.

The new wave of industrial action takes place from 13 to 15 February, after workers voted to back an extension of strikes earlier this year.

The retail giant said it regularly reviews pay to offer competitive wages and benefits.

Coventry staff were the first of Amazon's UK employees to walk out when industrial action began in January last year.

The trade union previously said Amazon had "refused" to increase pay when the cost of living crisis began.

Members are campaigning for £15 per hour, to help with rising costs and reflect the physical and repetitive nature of the job, Amanda Gearing from the GMB told the BBC.

An Amazon spokesperson said that by April the company's minimum starting pay will have increased to £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location.

This works out as a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018.

The firm added: "We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities.

"These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it's their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career."

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