Online giant Amazon, which has several warehouses in Kent, has announced a pay rise for its operational staff – but union members say it is “too little too late”.

The minimum starting pay for frontline operations employees will increase to between £13.50 and £14.50 an hour, depending on the location.

Amazon has a large warehouse in Dartford with around 2,000 employees. The minimum starting pay for frontline employees at the site will rise from £13 per hour to £14.50 per hour.

It also has a sort centre in Hoo and a delivery station in Aylesford.

For those with 36 months’ service, the increase will be to between £13.75 and £14.75 and hour.

Amazon said the increase “was worth at least 9.8%” and will be effective from September 29, benefiting tens of thousands of its employees across the UK, including delivery staff and those based in fulfilment centres.

The company, which has recently been embroiled in a union recognition dispute with the GMB, said it has invested £550 million in increased pay for its UK operations employees since 2022, representing a 35% increase in the hourly rate in that period.

It added that from day one, all employees are offered a benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount, which it estimated was worth more than £700 a year.

Amazon UK’s country manager John Boumphrey said: “Our frontline employees across the UK Operations network are a huge part of the success of our business and we appreciate everything they do to deliver for our customers.

“That’s why we’re proud to announce that we’re increasing our minimum starting pay for all frontline employees to the equivalent of more than £28,000 a year, and we continue to offer industry-leading benefits from day one.”

However GMB, the union for Amazon workers, has criticised the announcement.

Union members at Amazon Coventry have taken almost 40 days of strike action in their fight for £15 per hour and union recognition.

GMB organiser Rachel Fagan said: “This is too little, too late from Amazon bosses who have been forced to act by workers’ industrial action.”