Amazon Raises Frontline Wages in US, UK, and Canada

Amazon announced simultaneous wage increases for its frontline operations employees in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. In the U.S., the company raised minimum starting pay by $1 to $20 per hour, bringing the average hourly wage to nearly $24. U.S. workers will also receive grocery discounts starting October 1 and access to banking services through a new financial benefit program.

In the United Kingdom, 70,000 employees at delivery stations and fulfilment centres will see pay rises between 5.2% and 5.6% effective September 27. This adjustment sets minimum starting hourly wages between £15.10 and £16.10. The move aligns with a broader commitment to invest £40 billion in the UK by 2027.

In Canada, the company raised the average hourly base wage by $1 to $26.27, effective September 27, with some employees receiving grocery discounts on October 1. This increase follows a ruling by the B.C. Labour Relations Board that Amazon violated the provincial labour code by excluding unionized workers at the YVR2 facility in Delta from previous pay raises. While Amazon opposed binding arbitration to settle the dispute, the union Unifor claims the current wage bump is a direct result of collective bargaining pressure.