AN employment rights campaigner says workers at Amazon in Gourock are incensed after losing shares in the company.

Jim McCourt says a £1 pay rise handed over by the distribution giant has been at the expense of workers losing their share options.

Several employees from the Gourock plant contacted Mr McCourt and are furious about the move.

Mr McCourt said: "As a result of the pay rise, employees no longer get shares.

"It's made a mockery of the wage increase - it is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

"People are very angry about it."

Mr McCourt says that the share options equate to between £1,000 and £1,500 a year for employees.

He said: "It's an extra £1 an hour, an extra £40 a week but they have taken share options off and taken off the long service share option too, where people could get an extra share option after five years."

Mr McCourt says that the workers are effectively no better off, something which the company denies.

He told the Tele: "Basically Amazon have just negated the pay rise.

"I'm calling for the company to give them the pay rise and leave the share option as it is.

"Workers have repeatedly delivered at that site and they deserve a pay rise in real terms.

"Any pay rise is welcome but not at the expense of everything else.

"It's soul destroying for the workers."

Mr McCourt says Inverclyde Employment Rights would continue to support the workers.

He added: "Maybe the pressure will make the company think again."

A spokesman for Amazon said: "The significant increase in hourly cash wages more than compensates for the phase out of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).

"We can confirm that all hourly operations and customer service employees will see an increase in their total compensation as a result of this announcement.

"In addition, the compensation will be more immediate and predictable.”