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Online retail giant Amazon is offering term time only contracts for parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children.

Workers at all of the US firm's fulfilment centres in the North East - including Follingsby Park at Gateshead, Integra 61 in County Durham, and Darlington - are being offered the contracts which guarantee time off for the six-week summer break, as well as the two-week Easter and Christmas holiday periods. Amazon says the contracts will later be rolled out to its 'sort centres' and delivery stations later this year.

As part of what it says are efforts to support family needs on the back of employee feedback, Amazon is also launching a flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month which lets employees pick the shifts which suit their needs including part-day or full-day, day or night, weekday or weekend. That contract has been trialled at five fulfilment centres and is now being offered at a further seven sites.

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Richard Thompson, general manager at Amazon in Gateshead, said: "We’ve listened to our employees’ views on flexible working and I’m really proud that we’ve introduced new and innovative options based on their feedback. Both of these contracts put a really important emphasis on work-life balance and I’m certain they’re going to make a positive difference for many of our people."

But the GMB union, which represents around 700 Amazon workers in Coventry, said the move was cynically timed on the back of a recent 16 days of strike action in pursuit of higher pay. The union is also looking for official recognition by the retailer.

Amanda Gearing, GMB organiser, said: "It is no surprise that Amazon have discovered flexible working offers after Coventry workers have found their voice and their strength. It's no coincidence that 16 days of strike action have come before this offer. But the workers are clear – they want their trade union to be recognised. They want a fair pay offer of £15 per hour. In the worst cost of living crisis for a generation it is only fair.

"Amazon needs to stop dithering, talk to GMB and recognise us as their workers’ voice."