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Aberdeen homeowners threaten legal action against city council over buildings with collapse-risk concrete | UK News

Homeowners are threatening legal action after being told the value of their properties could be halved because of potentially deadly concrete.

More than 500 homes in Aberdeen are set to be demolished and reconstructed as part of the UK’s biggest RAAC-affected housing project.

John Meiklejohn bought his house three years ago for £120,000 but has been informed the authorities may only give him £60,000 in return as compensation when he is forced out.

He and others are exploring a possible legal battle amid claims the local council – who owned the properties when they were built – was aware of RAAC years ago and failed to disclose details to prospective owners.

The 61-year-old told Sky News: “They did some renovations on the roof about 12 years ago they put plasterboard underneath the RAAC panels.

“So, you can’t even see them. The only way you’d have been able to see that this was RAAC is by taking those panels off and actually drilling into it.”

John Meiklejohn, 61, who bought his house three years ago for £120,000 but has been informed the authorities may only give him £60,000 in return
Image:
John Meiklejohn, 61, who bought his house three years ago for £120,000 but has been informed the authorities may only give him £60,000 in return

Mr Meiklejohn claims negligence may have played a part over the years, and said: “The only thing I can work to get out of this is (to) get fair compensation for the position that (the) council have put us all in, because this is the council’s fault.

“Ultimately they sold property that basically wasn’t fit for purpose.”

Aberdeen City Council declined an invitation to answer any questions from Sky News.

A spokeswoman said homeowners would be given “current market value” for their properties along with some additional costs.

Read more:
Inside the doomed homes in UK’s RAAC crisis
Welsh hospital forced to close half of its wards

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The RAAC crisis

RAAC is a cheap, lightweight, “bubbly” material that was used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s.

It was mostly used for flat roofs – but was also used in walls and floors.

In the 1990s, structural engineers discovered the strength of RAAC wasn’t standing the test of time and only had a lifespan of around 30 years – putting buildings at risk of collapse.

It is thought more than 2,000 homes across the UK could be affected – the majority of which are in Scotland.

Lynn Winstanley, 62, lives mortgage-free in her home that is set to be bulldozed as early as next year in Aberdeen.

She told Sky News: “I just know that I’ve got nothing to leave my children. If they take my home, I’ve got nothing at all.

“I think at some point they (the council) must have known. Twelve years ago, the homeowners forked out £12,000 for additional roofing to be put on top.

“Now, at that point, either the council was negligent, or the builders were negligent, because those roofs should have been checked for load bearing, those roofs were surely showing them that there was crumbling concrete in there.”

Lynn Winstanley, 62, who lives mortgage-free in her home that is set to be bulldozed as early as next year
Image:
Lynn Winstanley, 62, who lives mortgage-free in her home that is set to be bulldozed as early as next year


Aberdeen City Council said RAAC victims are being offered support. They said in a statement: “The Council is aiming to purchase private properties by voluntary agreement in order to deliver demolition across the entire site, thereby providing the greatest flexibility for future redevelopment.”

GPs vote to take collective action for first time in 60 years | UK News

Family doctors in England have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking collective action for the first time in 60 years.

It means GPs will be able to pick and choose from a menu of actions set out by the British Medical Association (BMA).

This disruption could potentially see GPs limit the number of patients they will see each day to 25.

They could also choose to stop performing work they are not formally contracted to do.

The last time GPs took collective action was in 1964 when family doctors collectively handed in undated resignations to the Wilson government.

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Warship returns home after landmark trip – but new defence secretary misses the action | UK News

Scanning the faces of waiting crowds at Portsmouth harbour, a line of young sailors could barely contain their excitement at being reunited with loved ones after months at sea.

They waved frantically as family members came into view. There were tears of joy, grins of anticipation and hugs of relief as HMS Diamond finally pulled up alongside.

The Type 45 destroyer arrived home at the weekend following a landmark mission to defend international shipping in the Red Sea from strikes by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.

In that time, it made Royal Navy history by blasting seven Houthi drones out of the sky during a single swarm attack – the highest number of enemy aircraft to be taken out in one day by any British warship.

Pic: MoD via Debs Haynes
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Pic: MoD

The vessel scored another first when it shot down a ballistic missile in April that was targeting a merchant ship – the first time any part of the UK armed forces has eliminated such a weapon in combat.

HMS Diamond had been in line for yet one more first – becoming the first port of call for John Healey, the new Labour defence secretary, within hours of him taking charge on Friday.

But an issue with the helicopter he had been travelling on meant that the aircraft had to turn around on Friday evening instead of landing on the warship as it was sailing off the coast of Plymouth.

By contrast, Sky News did make it on board – travelling by sea instead of air to meet up with the giant vessel.

Pic: MoD
Image:
Pic: MoD

Pic: MoD
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Pic: MoD

We spent 24 hours with its crew of some 225 sailors who have been at sea for 151 days. During that time they have sailed around 44,000 miles, including in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as part of a US-led coalition to protect merchant ships transiting the area.

The captain, Commander Peter Evans, showed us the air defence system that was used to destroy most of the drones and to take out the ballistic missile. The ship brought down a total of nine Houthi drones during its deployment.

“The weapon we are all talking about at the moment is the Sea Viper system, which are in those square doors in front of us,” he said, gesturing to the white-coloured squares that formed two large rectangular slaps on an elevated platform at the front of the ship.

“The door opens and the missiles are about 4 or 5 metres long. By the time it has cleared the bridge roof it is already way, way over the speed of sound,” said the commanding officer.

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Moment HMS Diamond thwarts Houthis drone attack

Asked what message the destruction of a Houthi missile sent, he said: “We can be reactive, we can be fast, we can be flexible and we are certainly capable of protecting ships at sea.”

In the operations room, a windowless area inside the ship, filled with lines of screens and monitors displaying radar and satellite images as well as video feeds and other data, a junior sailor recalled the moment HMS Diamond went up against the ballistic missile.

“We heard the general alarm and you don’t think it is real when it is happening,” said Leading Hand Erin Graham, 22, from Middlesborough.

“But then when it actually pops up on radar, we know we have got seconds [to react].”

Read more from Sky News:
NASA volunteers complete year-long mission in ‘Mars bunker’
Life in the UK when Labour last triumphed over the Tories

Pic: MoD
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Pic: MoD

Pic: MoD
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Pic: MoD

The sailor, who heads a team that does electronic warfare, said the training kicked in.

“You knew that you couldn’t put a finger wrong but it was a very smooth engagement from start to finish and the ship performed excellently.”

Asked how she felt about coming home, she said: “I honestly can’t want.”

She was to be met by her mother, father, their respective partners, her twin sister, her younger sister and her grandmother.

As for what she was looking forward to doing, the young sailor listed waking up in her own bed, driving and seeing her dog. “Normal home stuff.”

NHS consultants in England accept pay offer to end year-long dispute and strike action | UK News

Senior doctors in England have voted to accept an improved government pay deal, bringing to an end the year-long dispute which had led to strike action.

The British Medical Association (BMA), a trade union which has been representing the consultants, put the offer on pay and conditions to its members, with 83% voting in favour.

The pay deal includes changes to a doctors’ pay review body and a 2.85% (£3,000) uplift for those who have been senior doctors for four to seven years, who under the original offer received no additional uplift, said the BMA.

The offer is in addition to the 6% awarded during the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) process last summer.

Strike action over the last two years has heaped more pressure on the NHS, where more than seven million patients remain on waiting lists for hospital treatment, leading to thousands of cancelled appointments and procedures.

It has also piled pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of an expected election later this year, as polls suggest the Tory party is trailing heavily behind Labour.

He hailed the deal as “excellent news” for patients after admitting in February that he had failed to cut NHS waiting lists, a key government pledge.

“The end of consultant strike action in the NHS is excellent news for patients. It will mean we can continue making progress towards our goal of cutting the waiting lists, which have now fallen for the fourth month in a row,” he said.

“Consultants perform a vital role at the heart of the NHS – I’m pleased they’ve accepted this deal, which is fair for them and fair for the taxpayer.”

While NHS nurses ended strike action last year following a pay deal, a long-running pay dispute with junior doctors, who staged a five-day strike in February, remains ongoing.

‘Without valuing doctors, we lose them’

Dr Vishal Sharma, who chairs the BMA consultants committee, said “at the heart of this dispute was our concern for patients and the future sustainability of the NHS”.

He described the consultants’ strike action as “unprecedented” following “years of repeated real-term pay cuts”.

Dr Sharma went on to say “it’s now imperative that the DDRB utilises its independence to restore doctors’ pay and prevent any further disputes from arising.

“We’ve reached this point not just through our tough negotiations with the Government, but thanks to the resolve of consultants, who took the difficult decision to strike, and did so safely and effectively, on multiple occasions, sending a clear message that they would not back down.

“At the heart of this dispute was our concern for patients and the future sustainability of the NHS. Without valuing doctors, we lose them. Without doctors, we have no NHS and patients suffer.”

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Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said the government’s offer was “fair and reasonable” and the deal eliminated the threat of further strikes.

She added: “Consultants will now be able to focus on providing the highest quality care for patients and we can consolidate our progress on waiting lists – which have fallen for the past four months.

“This deal directly addresses gender pay issues in the NHS and enhances consultants’ parental leave options – representing a fair deal for consultants, patients, and taxpayers.”

Susie Wolff, wife of Mercedes boss Toto, launches legal action against Formula 1 governing body FIA | World News

Susie Wolff has launched legal action against the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, after a controversial inquiry into her and her husband last year.

The F1 Driver Academy managing director, married to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, found herself at the heart of an investigation into claims of an alleged conflict of interest.

The probe came about after reports claimed other team principals were worried Mr Wolff was benefiting from information shared by his wife.

Two days after the FIA announced its compliance department was “looking into” the allegations, the federation said it “can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual”.

At the time, Susie Wolff vehemently denied the allegations – calling them “intimidatory and misogynistic”.

In December, Formula 1 and Mercedes – based in Brackley, Northamptonshire – denied the allegations, and days later the FIA dropped its investigation.

Speaking to La Gazzeta dello Sport, earlier this year Mr Wolff said that the initial inquiry caused “great damage” and was “not what you expect from the world of F1”.

He added that his wife’s reputation had suffered even after the investigation was dropped, saying “the bullet can’t go back into the rifle”.

Read more:
Horner’s accuser appeals against decision
Ex-driver sues F1, Bernie Ecclestone and FIA

Toto Wolff previously said he was in 'active legal exchange with the FIA'. Pic: PA
Image:
Toto Wolff. Pic: PA

In a statement shared on social media on Wednesday evening, ahead of the upcoming Australian Grand Prix, Mrs Wolff said: “I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on 4 March in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA last December.

“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter.

“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account.

“Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”

The FIA has been approached for comment.

Jeremy Corbyn taking ‘first steps’ of legal action against Nigel Farage over ‘highly defamatory statement’ | Politics News

Jeremy Corbyn has announced he is taking the “first steps” in legal action against Nigel Farage over a “highly defamatory statement”.

Writing on social media, the former Labour leader – who is no longer a member of the party – said: “I have asked my lawyers to take the first steps in commencing legal proceedings against Nigel Farage, following a highly defamatory statement about me.

“We are a movement for peace – and we cannot stand by and let these disgusting and malicious lies go unchallenged.”

Politics latest: Galloway met with silence in Commons

It relates to a segment on GB News last Wednesday.

A statement from Mr Corbyn’s team said Mr Farage “accused Jeremy Corbyn of subscribing to an antisemitic conspiracy theory”.

Mr Farage regularly appears on GB News, and is also part of the Reform Party.

Sky News has approached Mr Farage for comment.

Mr Corbyn previously took legal action against Tory MP Ben Bradley in 2018, which resulted in Mr Bradley apologising and donating to a food bank.

NHS strike action: Junior doctors in England begin five-day walkout threatening further patient disruption | UK News

Patients face further major disruption as junior doctors in England begin a five-day strike in their ongoing pay row with the government.

Tens of thousands of hospital appointments are set to be cancelled or postponed as a result of the latest walkout which began at 7am on Saturday and will stretch until 11.59pm on Wednesday.

It is the 10th stoppage by junior doctors since last March and follows the longest strike in NHS history in January, which lasted six full days.

“The government could have stopped these strikes by simply making a credible pay offer for junior doctors in England to begin reversing the pay cuts they have inflicted upon us for more than a decade,” Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said.

“The same government could have even accepted our offer to delay this round of strike action to give more space for talks – all we asked for in return was a short extension of our mandate to strike.

“The fact that ministers have chosen strike action over what could have been the end of this year’s pay dispute is disappointing to say the least.”

The BMA also expects its strike mandate to be renewed raising the prospect of further industrial action.

What should I do if I’m ill during the strikes?

If your condition is not “serious or life-threatening”, the NHS is asking people to use pharmacists, GPs, or the NHS 111 service in the first instance.

NHS bosses have repeatedly stressed that you should still call 999 in life-threatening situations.

Non-striking medical staff will continue to provide urgent, emergency, and maternity care to people who need it, with those “with the most pressing health needs” prioritised.

People who attend A&E with less urgent needs “may experience longer waiting times than normal”.

Planned appointments and surgeries may have been cancelled, but if you have not been contacted about a rearrangement you should attend as normal, the NHS says.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I want to see doctors treating patients, not standing on picket lines.

“In negotiations with the BMA junior doctors committee, we made it clear we were prepared to go further than the pay increase of up to 10.3% that they have already received. They refused to put our offer to their members.

“More than 1.3 million appointments and operations have already been cancelled or rescheduled since industrial action began – five days of further action will compound this.

“The NHS has robust contingency plans in place, and it is vital that people continue to come forward for treatment. But no one should underestimate the impact these strikes have on our NHS.

“So again, I urge the BMA junior doctors committee to call off their strikes and show they are prepared to be reasonable, so that we can come back to the negotiating table to find a fair way forward.”

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WW2 bomb that forced thousands to evacuate detonated at sea

Junior doctors have received a pay rise averaging nearly 9% this financial year.

The BMA has been seeking a 35% “pay restoration” as its starting position, but has said it is willing to negotiate.

Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors in the NHS and have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice.

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Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, described the latest round of strikes as having “a devastating impact on patients” but said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was refusing to negotiate.

NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said it is “extremely concerning” that strike action and disruption “are becoming a new normal”.

“For the equivalent of more than one in every 10 days last year, the NHS has had to effectively stop carrying out most routine appointments to prioritise emergency care,” he added.

Deputy chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said: “We can’t go on like this. Wave after wave of strikes saps the morale of staff and impacts patients.

“Trust leaders want to get on with the job of giving patients first-class care instead of having to spend too much time and energy planning for and coping with weeks of disruptive strikes.”

Labour activists face ‘disciplinary action’ if they support abandoned Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali | Politics News

Labour has told its activists they face “disciplinary action” if they continue to campaign for the party’s abandoned Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali.

The party’s branch in the North West has emailed activists in the region to warn they must no longer canvass for Mr Ali now that Labour has withdrawn its support for his candidacy over alleged antisemitic remarks he made last year.

The party’s rulebook states that support for any political organisation or candidate that is not Labour is prohibited.

Mr Ali first faced criticism when the Mail on Sunday reported that he had told a meeting of community activists last year that Israel deliberately allowed the Hamas atrocity to take place in order to give it the “green light” to invade Gaza.

A number of shadow ministers initially stood by Mr Ali and said he would remain the candidate in light of his “unreserved” apology for the “deeply offensive, ignorant and false” comments.

Follow live: ‘Problems mounting’ for Starmer

However, the party withdrew support for Mr Ali when further remarks were published by the Daily Mail in which he allegedly blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for fuelling criticism of a pro-Palestinian Labour MP, as well as claiming Israel planned to “get rid of [Palestinians] from Gaza” and “grab” some of the land.

It also temporarily suspended him from the party pending investigation.

On Tuesday night, Labour suspended another of its prospective parliamentary candidates, Graham Jones, after he allegedly referred to “f***ing Israel” at the same meeting where Mr Ali is reported to have made his comments.

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How Labour’s latest row unfolded

In the email to Labour members, seen by Sky News, the party writes: “As you will be aware, the Labour Party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as the Labour Party’s candidate and the Labour Party campaign in Rochdale has now ceased.

“In view of these developments, we must inform you that members are not permitted to campaign in the by-election on behalf of Azhar Ali.

“If members are found to do so, they will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Labour Party’s rules.”

It added: “We understand that this news may come as a disappointment to many of you.

“We would like to thank you for your hard work in challenging circumstances.”

Sir Keir Starmer insisted on Tuesday that he had taken “decisive action” to withdraw support for Mr Ali, saying: “It is virtually unprecedented to withdraw support for a candidate in the way that I withdrew support for this candidate yesterday.

“That’s what a changed Labour Party is all about.”

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Sir Keir calls the decision to withdraw support for Mr Ali a ‘necessary decision’.

However, the Labour leader has been criticised for not acting immediately after Mr Ali’s remarks came to light, with housing minister Lee Rowley telling Sky News the episode showed “the Labour Party is in a real mess”.

“It is just extraordinary to see some of the things that are coming out now, some of the conspiracy theories,” he told Breakfast With Kay Burley.

“It is showing that the Labour Party really hasn’t got a grip on this, that it is a party which has not changed [and] a party which will say anything to win government.”

Sir Keir’s decision to withdraw support for Mr Ali creates an unusual situation whereby he will still appear on the ballot paper as the Labour candidate – because it is too late for his name to be removed – although the party is not backing him.

Labour has also confirmed that in the event Mr Ali wins the contest on 29 February, he will sit as an independent MP on entering the Commons.

The incident with Mr Ali has also angered those on the left of the party, with campaign group Momentum accusing Sir Keir of “double standards” and ” trying to save one of their own”.

Read more:
Why Labour can’t replace Azhar Ali – and what happens if he wins
This is Starmer’s biggest crisis as Labour leader – and there may be worse to come

Mr Ali led the Labour group on Lancashire County Council before being selected as a candidate for the Rochdale by-election, set for 29 February.

He was hoping to replace Labour stalwart Sir Tony Lloyd, who died in January, and had been the Labour MP since 2017.

See below the full list of candidates and the political parties they represent:

Azhar Ali, (listed as Labour Party, but now no longer endorsed as its candidate)
Mark Coleman, Independent
Simon Danczuk, Reform UK
Iain Donaldson, Liberal Democrats
Paul Ellison, The Conservative Party Candidate
George Galloway, Workers’ Party of Britain
Michael Howarth, Independent
William Howarth, Independent
Guy Otten, Green Party
Ravin Subortna, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
David Tully, Independent

Middle East crisis: Six arrests as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gather in central London for ‘global day of action’ | UK News

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched through central London – a day after the UK joined the US in attacking Houthi bases in Yemen.

The Iran-backed rebel group, which supports Hamas, has been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

It has vowed to damage vessels it believes are heading to and from Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

Middle East crisis – follow latest

One speaker in Parliament Square on Saturday said British planes had been “flying where they do not belong”.

A few Yemeni flags were spotted on the march, Sky News correspondent Ivor Bennett said.

One placard read “Hands off Yemen”. According to its bearer, the only way to stop Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea is to support a ceasefire in Gaza.

Another placard read: “UK + US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza wants to live.”

Six arrests have been made, two of which were “in relation to offensive placards”, the Metropolitan Police said.

Another three people were arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation – an offence under the Terrorism Act.

One person was held for being in possession of “stickers to be used for criminal damage”.

A “significant policing presence” of about 1,700 officers was planned by Scotland Yard, which handed out leaflets.

Part of a leaflet handed out by the Met Police
Image:
Part of a leaflet handed out by the Met Police

The protesters want Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza, which followed the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October.

Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, accused the British government of “complicity” with Israel.

Speaking in Parliament Square, he said Palestine was a “nation of freedom fighters”, adding: “I stand before you with a broken heart but not a broken spirit.”

He also congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UN’s International Court of Justice.

That case has “gone down well with demonstrators”, Ivor Bennett said, with one woman saying she was “ecstatic” at the news.

Protesters in central London

Mary Lou McDonald, the president of Sinn Fein, told the crowd that a better situation for the Palestinian people is possible.

“When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, (having) walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen,” she said.

“This must happen and we will ensure that it does.”

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed protesters in Parliament Square, while his former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, could be seen leading the march as it left Bank.

There were restrictions, including: any person participating was warned not to deviate from the specified route; the speeches had to end by 4.30pm; the whole event had to end by 5pm.

No participant was allowed to enter the area around the Israeli Embassy.

Protesters in central London

James Cleverly, the home secretary, said he had been briefed by Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to “ensure order and safety” during the protest.

“I back them to use their powers to manage the protest and crack down on any criminality,” he said.

Amazon Black Friday strike: Workers in Coventry to walk out as part of international action against retailer | Business News

Amazon workers in the UK are to go on strike today to coincide with Black Friday – one of the company’s busiest shopping days of the year.

More than 1,000 staff at the firm’s warehouse in Coventry are expected to take part in the walkout, the GMB union said, amid a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

The online retail giant has insisted customers will not be affected by the industrial action.

A protest will also be held outside Amazon UK’s head office in London, while coordinated strikes and demonstrations will be held in other European countries and the US as well.

Unions say it will be the biggest day of industrial action in Amazon’s history.

The company recently announced it would be increasing the minimum starting pay to up to £13 an hour for staff, depending on location, from next April.

But the GMB has called for a rate of at least £15 an hour, and better conditions, as staff struggle with the cost of living crisis.

GMB official Amanda Gearing, said: “Today will go down as a turning point in Amazon’s history. Working people who make Amazon’s business model possible stand up to demand their share of the company’s enormous wealth.

“Despite that, Amazon bosses are desperate to claim it will be business as usual for Amazon and their customers this Black Friday.”

Ms Gearing added: “The truth is that today will see the largest day of industrial disruption in Amazon’s history.

“With industrial action escalating and workers joining strike action in Europe and the USA, it’s clear this strike is inspiring Amazon workers worldwide to fight to force the company to change its ways.”

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Sky’s report from January on Amazon workers staging their first UK strike

An Amazon spokesperson said: “There will be no disruption to customers.

“We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits.

“By April 2024, our minimum starting pay will have increased to £12.30 and £13 per hour depending on location, that’s a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018.”

They added: “We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities.

“These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it’s their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.”

It marks the 28th day of strike action to hit Amazon in the UK since the start of the year.