E-commerce major Amazon has announced an investment of £170m ($207m) to raise the pay for its frontline employees in the UK ahead of festival seasons.

Starting 15 October, the minimum starting pay for frontline operations employees will increase to sit in the range of £11.80 ($14.40) and £12.50 per hour, subject to locations.

The pay rise will be implemented for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal roles.

From April 2024, the minimum starting pay for frontline UK Operations employees will increase further to range between £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location.

In addition to the pay rise, Amazon UK plans to hire 15,000 seasonal employees at its sites during the festive season.

This latest investment increases Amazon’s minimum starting pay by 20% in two years and 50% since 2018.

Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey said: “We have some of the most talented colleagues around and we’re proud to offer them competitive wages and benefits, as well as fantastic opportunities for career development, all in a safe and modern work environment.

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

“We prepare year-round for the festive season, so we’re also excited to have more than 15,000 seasonal positions available this year to help delight our customers. We look forward to welcoming back colleagues who return year-after-year to work at Amazon along with many who will join the seasonal team for the first time.”

In June this year, approximately 900 workers at Amazon’s warehouse in Coventry held a three-day strike over pay dispute.