In a closely watched ballot, Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry, United Kingdom, have narrowly rejected union recognition, the BBC reports. The vote, which could have marked a historic first for Amazon in the UK, saw 50.5% of workers oppose union recognition, while 49.5% voted in favor.

The GMB union, which has been leading the organizing effort, lost by just 28 votes in what it described as an "agonizingly short" defeat. If successful, the ballot would have forced Amazon to negotiate with workers on issues such as pay and working conditions.

The union has accused Amazon of engaging in "union-busting" tactics, including holding "anti-union seminars" at the warehouse. The GMB is pursuing a legal challenge against Amazon, alleging the company used underhanded tactics to encourage members to cancel their union membership. Amazon defended its actions, stating it was responding to employee requests for information on how to cancel their memberships.

The fight for trade union recognition for Amazon workers is not over.

Amazon fought dirty - pressuring workers into cancelling their GMB membership, bombarding them with anti-union seminars and threats to terms and conditions.

We will keep fighting for Amazon workers

— GMB Union (@GMB_union) July 17, 2024

The union drive at the Coventry warehouse began in the summer of 2022, sparked by worker dissatisfaction over a proposed pay raise of between £35 ($45.48 USD) and £50 ($64.97 USD) an hour. Workers, feeling undervalued after their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, staged spontaneous walkouts and protests.

Since then, the GMB has organized 38 days of industrial action at the site, steadily building its membership to over 1,400 out of an estimated 3,000+ workers. The union is now considering its next steps, including the possibility of another recognition attempt. "The fire lit by workers in Coventry and across the UK is still burning," the GMB stated, vowing to "carry on the fight" for low-paid workers. The Labour Party has promised legislation to make it easier for unions to win recognition ballots and recruit in workplaces, potentially strengthening unions' positions in future organizing efforts.

Amazon, one of the UK's largest private sector employers with 75,000 workers, has consistently expressed its preference for direct communication with staff. "Having daily conversations with employees is an essential part of our work culture," the company reiterated after the vote.

Amazon continues to resist unionization efforts globally, including ongoing legal challenges to a successful union vote in Staten Island, New York.

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After introducing free shipping on all orders over $49 in late 2019, the retail giant withdrew the offer following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

In its latest reincarnation, Amazon's free shipping offer will apply to orders of select items on its US website totaling $65 or more.

Benny Buchnick, who manages the Amazon shopping page I Need It! on Facebook, said: "This move includes a lot of tech and electronics items, and I am very confident there will be greater variety. Amazon's catalog is very large, and that's why it takes some time to enter so many items. Nevertheless, I believe these won't be very heavy items that increase shipping prices."

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Following the announcement in January that the Emirates Post Group would add Israel to its operations network, the Israel Postal Service will now begin to send and receive packaged from Bahrain.

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Beginning Monday, Israelis will be able to send and receive packages and letters via postal, registered, and express mail to the Gulf state.

In December, while an Israeli delegation was in Bahrain, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of communication.

Communications Ministry Director-General Liran Avisar Ben-Horin, who signed the agreement, said, "The relationship being forged between Israel and Arab states, and the connection between the Israel Post and the postal authorities in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates will allow for the tightening of trade ties between the countries and offer Israeli customers broader solutions for exports and imports. The implementation of the signed memorandum of understanding will create a bridge between the countries and enable the development of economic and social ties between private and public figures in both countries."

Israel Post CEO Dany Goldstein said, "We welcome the continued cooperation between postal authorities around the world, which allows for the expansion of e-commerce activities in Israel to additional countries for the benefit of our customers, with the trade agreements with the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain opening a window of new business opportunities for us."

Noting Israel had signed agreements with over 150 postal authorities around the world, Goldstein said, "This is further proof of the Israel Post's ability as a leading actor in the field of e-commerce in Israel, which helps bring down the cost of living."

Gilad Tirosh, chief commercial officer at the Israel Postal Authority said the agreements with Bahrain and the UAE "will allow us to continue to expand the array of solutions and offer our private and business customers the widest variety of delivery services, as well as send and receive packages and mail at the most cost-effective prices."

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Sites such as Amazon have become increasingly popular in Israel where the cost of living is high, but locals currently have to order from the company's international sites, for example in the United States, Britain, and Germany.

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There has been widespread speculation in Israel's media that Amazon plans to open a local fulfillment center.

Amazon started reaching out to Israeli businesses in May, inviting them to join its local delivery program, which allows firms to use an Amazon.com seller account to fulfill orders to customers in Israel and abroad using local inventory.

Amazon did not say how many Israeli retailers had registered and declined to say when it was planning to fully launch a local business, saying only that it would be "soon."

Shares in Israel's shopping malls were down as much as 1% in Tel Aviv on Wednesday after Amazon's announcement.

The new website includes interviews with chief executives of Israeli firms who are already selling their products on Amazon, explaining how the platform transformed their businesses and gave them access to new markets.

Amazon said that it was working with Israeli retailers on how to sell globally as well as locally.

"We hope that through this program, we will be able to provide our customers in Israel with even more local products to choose from, with quicker delivery speeds," Amazon said in a statement.

Orders via international websites below $75 are exempt from value-added taxes in Israel, while orders up to $500 are free from customs duties.

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