Amazon to employ up to 2,000 workers at new UK warehouse amid strike action

Amazon, which is facing increasing strike action from its UK workforce, said it will hire up to 2,000 employees at its new fulfilment centre in Stockton-on-Tees.

The US retail giant said it will initially employ 1,000 workers when it opens the new warehouse - which will be its fourth in the UK - before adding more staff over time to meet demand.

The 50 million pound, 464,000 square foot fulfilment centre will begin operating in October, Amazon announced Tuesday.

It comes after the company announced plans at the beginning of the year to close three of its warehouses in the UK, in Hemel Hempstead, Doncaster, and Gourock in Scotland.

They would be replaced by two new major fulfilment centres in Stockton-on-Tees and Peddimore, Amazon said at the time.

The three closures put 1,200 jobs at risk. Amazon said at the time all impacted employees would be offered roles at other existing Amazon locations.

It comes as Amazon faces mounting strike action from its UK workers over pay.

On Monday, employees at the company’s Rugeley fulfilment centre voted in favour of strikes.

They became the second group to do so after workers in Coventry launched the first industrial action ever taken against Amazon in the UK back in January. Last month, Coventry workers announced plans for six more months of strikes.

In January, Amazon revealed it would be cutting 18,000 jobs worldwide amid rising costs - the largest number of employee terminations in its history.

In March 2023, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company would be cutting a further 9,000 jobs.