‘A sweatshop in the UK’: how the cost of living crisis triggered walkouts at Amazon

Amazon workers at some sites are under pressure to meet targets with staff often required to pick two items every minute. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Amazon workers say they are working in a “sweatshop” as safety concerns and worries about the cost of living crisis have triggered walkouts at warehouses around the country.

The Observer has spoken to four staff involved in the walkouts, who work at three Amazon warehouses, including Tilbury in Essex, where protests began on 4 August. All say they will struggle to survive this winter with pay rise offers between 35p and 50p an hour – far less than the rate of inflation, which is currently at 9.4%.