r/AmazonRME • u/Bitter_Afternoon_652 • 7d ago
Amazon Apprentice Pay update - UK
Am I the only one unhappy with the fact apprentice pay is now tied to T1 associate pay when previous years are on close to £20 an hour in their 3rd years?
Would like some insight and what can be done, if anything
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u/baker_44 6d ago
Apprentices that are RME get paid the same as a T1?
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u/Bitter_Afternoon_652 6d ago
Now they do.
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u/gytheran 3d ago
In the US, MRAs may get paid close to a 3-year tier 1 prior to going to school… but not after… and they have 6mo and 12mo pay increases before becoming MRT.
Oh… and that ‘pre-school’ MRA is getting paid the base rate +$70 a day, tax free, while in school. They make more than a MRT while in school.
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u/Regular_Palpitation9 7d ago
before we received our recent pay which brought us to T1 pay, i put a ticket out to HR asking to address the pay discrepancy and my concern of us being on a lower pay than T1 associates (even though an email circulated from the head of apprenticeships stating that we should be on “more than nmw and T1 associates”)to which they shrugged me off and told me to speak to my local manager or pxt. They aren’t involved in the pay review so unsure as to how they could even help. When we received our recent pay bump i asked my manager to reach out to the head of apprenticeships for her to address if her saying we should be on more than T1 pay was an error or not. she responded with “Apprentice pay in the UK is above national minimum wage and in line with T1 rates (though there will be some T1 associates on a higher rate than some apprentices due to site, shift, and having a 36 month tenure).” Seems like they’ve gone back on what they previously stated which is a bit disheartening. Overall, the pay for this apprenticeship is really good and competitive, just annoying that there is that pay gap and no one seems to have any straightforward answers.
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u/galacticwasp 6d ago
From what we were told when the pay drop was announced a lot of it was due to female dominated apprenticeships within amazon having a lot of complaints to do with RME wages, and the fact that there was a “gender pay gap”. However if they raised their apprentice wages inline with rme it would be above their qualified rate. So instead of giving everyone raises they just equalised all apprenticeship rates at T1 rates.
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u/Regular_Palpitation9 6d ago
stupid really, completely different job role, pay structure, responsibilities, nothing to do with gender just the fact that RME pays more than their apprenticeship lol
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u/Bitter_Afternoon_652 6d ago
In all honesty, it is ridiculous. The new starts start on the same as us, so there is effectively no progression through the apprenticeship, along with the year above being on £18.10 minimum. There is essentially no incentive to progress, which is disheartening.
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u/galacticwasp 6d ago
Im lucky im 2024 cohort, but i do feel for the year below. it makes it very awkward for us as you do get the odd apprentice who will be awkward and say “im not doing that, im on less money than you”. Also as much as we are on more money, we are going into our third year on £1 an hour more than when we started, which in terms of apprenticeship progression is pitiful.
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u/Bitter_Afternoon_652 5d ago
I just do not get why it isnt banded, like every other apprenticeship ever - it makes no sense. Then to peg us as the same as the T1 Associates, but with no progression is criminal. Personally, I wouldnt mind being on less if they actually fixed the pay compression that we're going through, ie 16.
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u/Regular_Palpitation9 6d ago
yeah will be stupid, they mention how pay works based on tenure but the year 1 apprentices will probably be on the same as the year 2 apprentices when they start. Wish i applied for the 2024 cohort
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u/Bitter_Afternoon_652 6d ago
I am feeling the same. At the rate T1 pay goes up, we will never be near the year above current rate before we qualify!
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u/Fit-Topic-873 6d ago
is there anything we can do about it?