Doncaster Amazon warehouse closure 'kick in teeth' for workers, say unions

The firm’s distribution centre at Balby Carr Bank will close after the firm last week announced it was cutting 18,000 jobs globally, although Amazon says the two announcements are not connected.

400 workers at the depot have been told that they will be transferred to other Amazon centres in Doncaster.

But upset GMB chiefs have blasted the move and its timing, coming so soon after the Christmas period, traditonally the firm’s busiest time of the year.

Steve Garelick, GMB organiser, said: “This is a real kick in the teeth for Amazon staff who worked themselves into the ground during the festive rush.

“Hard-up Amazon workers can’t suddenly be expected to up sticks and move to a different fulfilment centre which may be many miles away. local workers who may not be in a position to take roles so far away from where they live.

“Amazon has failed to bring a stable employment model due to their long-standing health and safety issues and poor workplace practices.

“To move forward with stability, Amazon needs ot engage with the workforce through their union GMB.”

As well as Doncaster, Amazon has also announced closures of depots in Hemel Hempstead and Gourock in Scotland. A total of 1,200 jobs are impacted by the announcement.

A spokesman for Amazon said: “We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers.

"As part of that effort, we may close older sites, enhance existing facilities, or open new sites, and we’ve launched a consultation on the proposed closure of three fulfilment centres in 2023.

"We also plan to open two new fulfilment centres creating 2,500 new jobs over the next three years.

"All employees affected by site closure consultations will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other facilities, and we remain committed to our customers, employees, and communities across the UK.”

The firm said that around 400 people at the Doncaster site in Balby Carr Bank will be transferred to the town’s other two fulfilment centres on Doncaster’s iPort

Dame Rosie Winterton, Doncaster Central MP, said she was ‘sorry’ to hear of the depot’s closure and added: “I welcome the reassurance given to me by Amazon that all jobs will be transferred to other sites in the area.

"I will be working with the GMB locally to take up any issues with Amazon that they wish me to.”

Last week, the company announced that it was looking to make 18,000 cuts across the world – its biggest ever series of lay-offs.

The move is aimed at cutting costs and comes after a slump in orders following the pandemic, with the firm’s Amazon Fresh grocery stores among the arms of the business expected to be among the hardest hit.

During the global lockdown, when people had more time to spend online at home, orders rocketed but in recent months have slowed as the world re-opened.