Amazon ‘not concerned’ about wave of unionizing because of competitive pay, benefits, exec says

LONDON — A top Amazon executive told CNBC the company is “not concerned” about a wave of unionizing globally because the e-commerce giant has competitive pay and benefits.

The comments come amid high-profile efforts in the U.S. and U.K. from Amazon warehouse workers to form unions.

Stefano Perego, vice president of customer fulfilment and global ops services for North America and Europe at Amazon, said the company’s pay and benefits are attractive.

“As long as we offer competitive pay invaluable benefits, we don’t think that our people will choose to be represented, but this is their choice,” Perego told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday.

There appears to be a rising push for unionization among Amazon workers.

Workers at an Amazon site in Coventry, a city in the U.K. staged the first formal industrial action in the country in January. The workers are unhappy about the wage increases they have received which they say are not enough. The employees have demanded formal union recognition which would give them the ability to collectively bargain with the Amazon over wages.

And last year a group of workers in New York’s Staten Island became the first group to vote in favor of unionizing at a U.S. facility run by Amazon. Amazon has resisted unionization efforts in the U.S.

The efforts from unions have so far failed to galvanize a wave of unionization globally as many had hoped.

Perego said Amazon is not worried about the rise of unions.

“No, I’m not concerned because again, [it] is a choice our people has to make, and we know that we are very competitive,” Perego said.