Union pressures Co-op to remove all Amazon lockers

by Mark Tyson on 15 August 2014, 12:15

Tags: Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)

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The Co-op has found itself caught up in the dispute between the major UK trade union GMB and online retailing giant Amazon. The GMB union is putting pressure on the Co-op to remove its Amazon delivery lockers, according to the Guardian. Amazon's partnership with Co-op started back in 2012. Lockers were placed in 160 Co-op stores to allow shoppers to conveniently pick up goods they have ordered online (up to 30cm3).

The union has taken up a long-running campaign over Amazon's British warehouses' pay and conditions. Amazon is refusing to recognise the union and as a result, the union claims its officials are forced underground by the US giant's refusal to engage.

As part of the campaign, the union says it has already brought up the issue with the Co-op's chief executive Richard Pennycook and vows to have Amazon Lockers removed from all the Co-op's stores.

The GMB has been struggling with Amazon for some time

"We will intend take the issue to the wider membership of the Co-operative movement. Why it allows a competitor like Amazon floor space is hard to understand as Co-operative has a real cuckoo in the ethical nest," Martin Smith, GMB National Officer explained.

"GMB needs the support of Co-operative members to ensure that Amazon improves security of employment, treats workers fairly and pays them a wage they can live on in their distribution chain in the UK and elsewhere in the EU," said the union. Amazon allegedly pays the majority of its staff the national minimum wage of £6.39 an hour, with permanent staff starting on £7.

Both Amazon and The Co-op have declined to comment on the matter when asked by the newspaper.



HEXUS Forums :: 33 Comments

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Oh LOL, people like the GMB I just can't begin to trust on anything like this. This is for instance a quote from their page:

In the last three tax years for which information is known Amazon has paid only £4.24 million tax on £10.82 billion sales: a tax rate of less than 0.5%.
So that is just dishonest as you con possibly be. For a start off they are comparing gross sales, ignoring any Value Added Tax, National Insurance, Rates etc. You can't compare gross revenue and ignore something like VAT, that is special dishonesty.

As a result I don't really believe any of their claims, they've lost any credibility by being down right wrong for their overt agenda.

The information about wages looks incorrect, a quick google shows £8+ per hour for the Swansea centre.

But the concern about walking 11 miles, over the course of 10 hours. You are kidding right? A few years back when there was a pedomitor craze, a Dr friend found she walked 7 miles per shift, that's just being in a hospital.

So this is just political posturing from a company that relies on people having less money in their pocket, so they can fund a political party in a most non democratic manner.
Plus, those lockers are very handy (not that I've noticed any near me), I have used a courier company's lockers to send something once.

Hopefully Co-op will stand their ground.
The Coop won't care, their employees are paid a similar pittance and the company has hemorrhaged money for a couple of years, so any money paid by amazon is a winner for them.
TheAnimus

It is even worse than you think. Neither the GMB nor most Lab MPs (yes Margaret Hodge I am referring to you) understand corporation tax.

1. Corporation tax is paid on profits, the amount of revenue is irrelevant. Amazon alledgedly has notoriously microscoptic profit margins.

2. Corporation tax in UK is only paid by UK companies or by foreign companies with a permanent establishment in the UK. Amazon, the seller of goods has neither - all those distribution warehouses do not count, that was something laid down by law 30+ years ago to assist car industry.

3. Corporation tax is not based on where your customers are.

4. Having a “.co.uk” website does not make you a UK company
cjs150
TheAnimus

It is even worse than you think. Neither the GMB nor most Lab MPs (yes Margaret Hodge I am referring to you) understand corporation tax.

1. Corporation tax is paid on profits, the amount of revenue is irrelevant. Amazon alledgedly has notoriously microscoptic profit margins.

2. Corporation tax in UK is only paid by UK companies or by foreign companies with a permanent establishment in the UK. Amazon, the seller of goods has neither - all those distribution warehouses do not count, that was something laid down by law 30+ years ago to assist car industry.

3. Corporation tax is not based on where your customers are.

4. Having a “.co.uk” website does not make you a UK company

Thank you! Finally, people who understand this concept. But sadly I continue to see relationships made between gross sales and corporation tax and its always to the detriment of the company.

On a kind of related note Animus, I would not list VAT as an example of Amazon paying some form of tax. VAT has been, and will always be, a tax bourn by the individual consumer. But I agree with your general opinion. Amazon are a very positive entity in the economy, they employ a lot of people and pay those taxes, they operate many sites and pay business rates and council taxes as appropriate. They encourage smaller SME's to get involved with e-commerce in a way that (appears) positive and any of the above benefits it brings with that.

But the average daily mail reader will just see a small corporation tax ratio and decree it blasphemy.

Let's just hope he doesn't do that whilst drinking a Starbucks!