£400 million Amazon warehouse to open within weeks in Swindon
More than a thousand jobs are up for grabs
The huge new Amazon warehouse nearing final fit-out on the edge of Swindon will be up and running within weeks.
The company is looking for staff to fill the 1,300 jobs it will have there and is offering cheap travel for those who take a position.
The £400 million warehouse and distribution centre in Symmetry Park on the A420 at Gable Cross was given planning permission in June last year and has been constructed in quick time despite the disruptions of pandemic-related lockdowns.
A spokesman for the internet commerce giant said: "Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Swindon will be launching over the next couple of weeks and will create more than 1,300 permanent jobs.
"Pay starts at a minimum of £11.10 per hour for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal roles. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount – which combined are worth more than £700 annually – as well as a company pension plan."
Although the full-time jobs are a standard 40-hour week, staff do four 10-hour shifts a week, leaving them a third day free.
The job specification does warn potential applicants that work can be physically demanding.
A list of what skills applicants need reads:
"Your safety comes first. You must be able to follow safety, quality and production standards. You may stand and walk for a long time; this could be more than eight hours per shift.
"You may need to lift and move products that weigh up to 23kg. You need to be ok to lift, bend, twist, kneel and crouch. You need to be ok to handle a full range of Amazon products, including alcohol and pork products."
To encourage staff to travel by other means than car to work, the company is also laying on subsidised transport:
"We are pleased to offer an exclusive Amazon bus service at a subsidised cost of £2 per journey with services running from the following locations: Gloucester and Cirencester; Chippenham; Oakhurst, Haydon Wick, Pinehurst & Kingsdown; Rushey Platt and Swindon town centre.
"Also, all Stagecoach services within Swindon can be used for £1 per journey upon presenting an Amazon badge."
Amazon is also building a new data centre to handle the internet traffic it generates at Burderop south of Swindon on the site of an old disused data centre
Leader of Swindon Borough Council David Renard said: "We are delighted that Amazon is creating many jobs, including some high skilled ones, and investing so significantly in our economy.
"Swindon is a great place to do business with a very capable workforce as well as being a great place to work, live and play. We look forward to the Amazon building becoming a centre of activity in the near future."