Pay increase given in ‘appreciation’ of hard work

Hundreds of Amazon staff in Peterborough have been awarded an inflation-beating 9.8 percent pay rise.

The increase means that the starting pay for staff at the internet retailer, which operates a fulfilment centre at Kingston Park, will go up to £14.50 an hour, which equates to an annual starting pay of £30,160.

For those with 36 months service, the increase will be to £14.75 per hour.

Hundreds of workers at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Peterborough are to get a 9.8 per cent pay increase.

placeholder image — Hundreds of workers at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Peterborough are to get a 9.8 per cent pay increase.

The increase for staff in Peterborough is at the higher end of a new pay rate announced by the company in which starting pay will increase to between £13.50 and £14.50 per hour, depending on location, for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal roles.

The increase is well above the current rate of inflation which was 2.2 per cent last month.

An Amazon spokesperson said: "The increase of at least 9.8 percent will be effective from September 29 and will benefit tens of thousands of frontline operations employees across the UK.”

Amazon says it has invested £550 million in increased pay for its UK operations employees since 2022, which represents a 35 percent increase in the hourly rate in just two years.

John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said: “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.

"That's why we're proud to announce that we're increasing our minimum starting pay for all frontline employees to the equivalent of more than £28,000 a year, and we continue to offer industry-leading benefits from Day One, as well as outstanding opportunities for our employees to start and grow a great career."

Amazon staff also receive a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount. Together, these benefits are worth more than £700 annually, and employees can take advantage of our company pension plan.

Mr Boumphrey added: “These are just some of the reasons people want to work at Amazon, whether it’s their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.”