As unionization efforts continue around the globe at Apple Stores, a notable moment has occurred in Scotland. The Glasgow Apple Store has become the first location in the UK to see a majority of employees vote for unionization.
Last month we saw Apple hit with a US Labor Board complaint in NYC and the second US retail store voted to unionize, this time in Oklahoma.
As reported by The Herald, now the first Apple Store in the UK to officially start the unionization process is the Glasgow location.
“In what was called a ‘historic moment’ by union representatives, Glasgow’s Buchanan Street branch of the American tech giant will now be unionised after workers voted overwhelmingly to be represented by GMB Scotland.”
Following negotiations, Apple is said to have recognized the ballot “after a large number of its Glasgow workers joined the GMB.”
Exact numbers were not shared, but GMB organizer John Slaven called the vote “astonishing in terms of the size of the majority” that voted for the union.
What are they asking for?
The Apple Glasgow employees say a priority moving forward as a union will be a pay raise from the current £12 an hour rate.
Apple’s response
In response to the unionization and request for a pay increase, an Apple spokesperson shared the following with The Herald:
“We have long been committed to providing an excellent experience for our customers and teams.
Apple is one of the highest paying retailers in Scotland and we’ve regularly made enhancements to our industry-leading benefits as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.”
What’s next?
The Herald also reports that Apple employees at other locations in the UK are looking into the unionization process and other Scottish Apple retail staff are hoping to join the GMB union.
We’ll also be keeping an eye on Apple Store unionization efforts around the world.
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