Yahoo Finance McDonald's staff in UK walk out on strike for first-time ever
McDonald’s employees in the UK are staging the first-ever strike in the fast food giant’s history today in a row over pay and conditions.
Two restaurants in Cambridge and Crayford, south-east London, have seen around 40 staff members work out after 95% of workers voted in favour industrial action amid concerns over low wages and the use of zero-hour contracts.
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McDonald’s is one of the biggest employer of zero-hours contracts in the UK but has recently started offered workers the option of moving to fixed hours.
Staff are demanding a wage of at least £10 an hour, more secure working hours and union recognition, according to The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, one of Britain’s oldest trade unions.
Stephanie: first #McWorker to walk out in 1st ever UK #McStrike Making history! #McSolidarity for £10 an hour, no zero hours, union rights pic.twitter.com/5nw3ZaA6P4
— Hungry for Justice (@FastfoodRights) September 3, 2017
Workers at the fast-food chain currently earn between £5.60 and £7.50 an hour, depending on age, while employees aged 18 and under earn around £4.50 an hour. The national minimum wage for an adult over 25 is £7.50, aged 21 to 24 £7.05, aged 18 to 20 £5.60 and under 18 £4.05.
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Tom Holliday, who works at the company’s Cambridge restaurant, said: “I make £7.55 an hour – when it gets to the pay check I don’t have enough money to provide for my son.
“I have to choose between eating full meals or visiting him.”
The strike has been backed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In a statement, he said: “Our party offers support and solidarity to the brave McDonald’s workers, who are making history today. They are standing up for workers’ rights by leading the first ever strike at McDonald’s in the UK.
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“Their demands – an end to zero-hours contracts by the end of the year, union recognition and a £10 per hour minimum wage – are just, and should be met.”
A McDonald’s spokeswoman said: “As per the terms of the ballot, the dispute is solely related to our internal grievance procedures and not concerning pay or contracts.
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“As announced in April this year, together with our franchisees, we are providing our people with the option of a guaranteed hour contract, and all restaurants will have these contracts in place by the end of 2017.
“McDonald’s UK and its franchisees have delivered three pay rises since April 2016, this has increased the average hourly pay rate by 15 per cent.
“We are proud of our people at McDonald’s, they are at the heart of all we do and we work hard to ensure that our teams are treated fairly. Our internal processes underpin that commitment.”
