Unite: Cutty Sark protestors take aim at Amazon

Protestors chose the iconic Greenwich tea clipper as their site to voice anger at the retail giant, unfurling banners on the bank of the River Thames on King William Walk on Thursday, August 12.

Unite recently submitted the first formal complaint to the Competitions & Markets Authority (CMA) against Amazon for 'abusing its market position in relation to price gouging during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The protest is against unfair treatment of workers and pandemic price gouging.

Vulnerable and older people who had to stay at home and those who relied on home deliveries would have been particularly exposed to inflated prices for essential items on the Amazon website, said Unite.

The union is calling for Amazon to repay the overcharges.

An Amazon spokesperson said: "There is no place for price gouging on Amazon. We worked with the CMA more than a year ago to stop attempts by some sellers to take advantage of the global health crisis.

Unite say Amazon is 'steeped in corporate irresponsibility'

"Our action at the time was clear and decisive - we removed the offers referenced in this complaint and terminated seller accounts. We continue to monitor our store 24/7 to remove offers that violate our policies.”

Unite's Sharon Graham, Unite Executive Officer for Organising and Leverage, said Amazon was "steeped in corporate irresponsibility, from its anti-union tactics to tax avoidance."

"Now Amazon stands accused of profiting from price gouging on its website at the height of the pandemic when vulnerable people were most at need. It's time for Amazon to be held to account."

For example, the union says Carex antibacterial hand lotion usually costs around £1. In March 2020 the price on Amazon increased to £26.41. The price of a Braun Thermoscan 7 digital thermometer shot up over £100 – going from £39.99 to £149.99.

Union campaigners continue to protest Amazon’s poor working conditions and anti-trade union tactics, and the union is calling on Amazon to sign up to a declaration of neutrality, which includes commitments that recognize workers’ rights to unionise.

As part of the Action on Amazon campaign, Unite research has uncovered compelling evidence of price gouging throughout 2020 (A copy of the formal complaint is available on request).

Around 50 different items have been identified that were being sold on the Amazon site for at least double their usual price from March 2020 to November 2020 onwards.

They include soap, antibacterial spray and wipes, washing up liquid, hand wash, bleach, thermometers, face masks, toilet paper, disposable gloves, sanitary products, vitamins, toothpaste, sudocream, tea and tinned food.