In what has been called a “historic moment” by union representatives; Apple’s retail store in Glasgow, Scotland, has become the first UK store to officially unionize.
Staff at the Glasgow store had been pushing for unionization for some time, due to concerns over pay and working conditions. The employees will now be pushing for higher hourly pay from their current £12 an hour income.
In response to the vote, Apple told The Herald it is “one of the highest paying retailers in Scotland” and it “regularly made enhancements to our industry-leading benefits as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary Louise Gilmour of the GMB said: “The ballot was conducted in a professional and respectful manner. And we look forward to building a productive relationship with Apple in Glasgow.”
“This is a historic vote and is a tribute to the mostly young workers who have made it clear they see unionization with the GMB as the way to make work better and build a fairer workplace,” continued Gilmour.
Apple has been pushing back on unionization efforts, attempting to ease concerns from retail staff over the last several months. The Cupertino firm had encouraged store managers to be more open and direct with staff over their concerns and promising action to address them.
The news follows similar moves by Apple retail employees in the United States. Apple retail locations in Washington State, New York City, and Maryland are organizing and taking steps toward unionization.
