WORKERS at Tilbury's Amazon Fulfilment Centre are staging a protest about their low pay.

The protest, an effective sit-in within the huge building on the London Distribution Park, Windrush Road, has been going on for 24 hours.

It is reported shift workers arriving for work are beining turned away by the management and others told not to attend work.

A statement from one worker currently engaged in the protest, who sent video footage to Thurrock Nub News, said: "We have to strike.

"We have been offered a very low rise, a matter of a few pence but it is not good enough with the rising cost of living.

"Amazon are trying to keep this a secret and they have told other workers to stay at home so they don't see what we are doing, but it is important people know what is going on here."

The GMB union said hundreds of employees in Tilbury stopped work yesterday (Wednesday, 3 August) after being given a pay rise of 35p an hour. The union said workers are seeking a £2-an-hour rise to better match the demands of their job and cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

Steve Garelick, GMB regional organiser, said: "Amazon is one of the most profitable companies on the planet. With household costs spiralling, the least they can do is offer decent pay."Amazon continues to reject working with trade unions to deliver better working conditions and fair pay. Their repeated use of short-term contracts is designed to undermine workers' rights."The image the company likes to project, and the reality for their workers, could not be more different. They need to drastically improve pay and working conditions."

A spokesperson for Amazon said: "Starting pay for Amazon employees will be increasing to a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45p/h, depending on location.

"This is for all full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary roles in the UK. In addition to this competitive pay, employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount among others, which combined are worth thousands annually, as well as a company pension plan."