Scottish workers to benefit as Amazon raises pay and takes on thousands of Xmas workers

Amazon is increasing pay for its frontline staff by at least £1 an hour, including hundreds of workers in Scotland, as it begins recruiting for thousands of seasonal roles.

Amazon said it was increasing pay for its frontline staff by at least £1 an hour in two tranches. Picture: Jane Barlow

The internet giant said the minimum starting pay for operational employees would rise to between £11.80 and £12.50 per hour, depending on location. This increase in starting pay for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal roles will be effective from October 15. Next April, that minimum starting pay will increase further, to between £12.30 and £13 per hour - an increase of at least £1 per hour for frontline UK operations workers.

The firm, which has more than 2,000 frontline, technical and support staff in Scotland, said the increases amounted to a £170 million “investment in pay” and mean that its minimum starting pay will have risen by 20 per cent in two years, and 50 per cent since 2018. It added that the move would benefit tens of thousands of employees across the UK, as well as more than 15,000 seasonal employees who will be hired at sites across the country this festive season.

Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey said: “We have some of the most talented colleagues around, and we’re proud to offer them competitive wages and benefits, as well as fantastic opportunities for career development, all in a safe and modern work environment. We prepare year-round for the festive season, so we’re also excited to have more than 15,000 seasonal positions available this year to help delight our customers. We look forward to welcoming back colleagues who return year-after-year to work at Amazon along with many who will join the seasonal team for the first time.”

In addition to announcing the wage rises, the firm, which has faced strike action from some of its workers over levels of pay, said that from day one, all employees would be offered a “comprehensive benefits package” including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount. Together, these benefits are worth “thousands of pounds” annually, it added, while employees can take advantage of a company pension plan. Amazon also offers employees access to a programme called Career Choice that provides funding for skills development.