Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsRetailPay & benefitsLiving Wage

Amazon increases minimum pay above voluntary Living Wage

by Ashleigh Webber 2 Oct 2018
by Ashleigh Webber 2 Oct 2018 Geoff Robinson Photography/REX/Shutterstock
Geoff Robinson Photography/REX/Shutterstock

Amazon is to increase its minimum wage in excess of the level recommended by the Living Wage Foundation for almost 40,000 permanent and temporary staff.

Workers will see their pay rise to £10.50 in London and £9.50 across the rest of the UK from 1 November. This is higher than the voluntary Living Wage required meet minimum living costs of £10.20 in London and £8.75 across the rest of the country, as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.

Living Wage

What is the living wage used by the Living Wage Foundation and how is it calculated?

Low-income families’ earnings do not cover basic needs

Amazon staff currently earn a minimum of £8 an hour and £8.20 in London.

More than 250,000 US workers will also see their minimum wage increase to $15 (£11.57) an hour.

But while billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said that the company “listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead”, the pay increase has received criticism from the GMB union.

The union’s general secretary Tim Roache said: “I’m glad Amazon has heeded GMB union’s long-standing calls to pay people, at the very least, the minimum they need to live – though given their owner is the richest man in the world you’d think he could see fit to dig a little deeper, but it’s a start.

“Now they’re paying the living wage, maybe Amazon could pay their taxes too, and do something to improve the horrendous working conditions people endure in their warehouses.”

Earlier this year the union accused Amazon of treating its warehouse staff “like robots” by putting them under pressure to meet strict targets.

“GMB has heard horrific tales from the shop floor, of a woman in late pregnancy having to stand for a 10-hour shift, hundreds of ambulance call outs to Amazon warehouses and nearly 90% of our Amazon members saying they experience constant pain at work,” said Roache.

“GMB are ready and willing to help sort that out, but they won’t let a trade union through their doors. So this isn’t ‘job done’ by any stretch.”

An Amazon spokesperson said: “Amazon is a safe place to work, in fact according to the UK government’s Health and Safety Executive RIDDOR, Amazon has 43% fewer injuries on average than other transportation and warehousing companies in the UK.

“The facts clearly show allegations to the contrary are simply wrong and misleading when attempting to portray Amazon as an unsafe workplace.”

The online retail giant employs 17,000 people in the UK and plans to recruit 20,000 seasonal workers for Christmas.

Temporary staff will also be paid the new, higher rate, as well as those hired through recruitment agencies.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Amazon said employees also receive private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and a company pension plan, among other benefits.

Doug Gurr, Amazon VP and UK country manager said the wage increase will “impact more than 37,000 employees across the country, resulting in higher pay for them and their families.”

Amazon
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
A third of people would challenge sexual harassment
next post
People with severe mental illness more likely to develop a physical health condition

You may also like

Next to improve wage-setting transparency after shareholder pressure

16 May 2025

Ofgem workers ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

What will reward look like in 2035?

28 Apr 2025

NI increase has not caused ‘knee-jerk reaction’ in...

23 Apr 2025

Post-pandemic starters seek more pay for on-site working

10 Apr 2025

Maisie Adam to host Employee Benefits Awards 2025

3 Apr 2025

Most businesses will need to adjust wages in...

28 Mar 2025

‘British people too polite to talk about salary?...

28 Mar 2025

Senior HR pay rising faster than junior roles

28 Mar 2025

Employee Benefits Awards 2025 shortlist revealed

24 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+