Never mind the burgers, what about the workers? McDonald's is being lined up for a worldwide protest on Wednesday April 15th, and Salford has been chosen for the centre of North West action, with a protest outside its head office and burger outlet on Cross Lane, just off The Crescent.
"We'll be targeting McDonald's globally as they're one of the main companies that deal with low pay and exploitative terms and conditions of employment" says Ian Hodson, president of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) "Zero hours contracts, low pay, age-related pay not based on their skills but their age, poor health and safety...It's got some of the worst practices in the country and the world unfortunately.
"If you look at Brazil they got into trouble for a bit of slave labour and we've recently found out about their tax avoidance issues" he adds "This is a company that's making lots and lots of money, that's not adding to our society but degrading it."
Apparently, McDonald's pay less to younger people doing the same job as someone older, which the campaign calls `discrimination'; and it's calling for a £10 an hour minimum to lift all workers out of poverty. In America the call is for $15 an hour and has met with some success after huge protests...
"McDonald's has given ten per cent of the workforce a bit of as pay increase but the majority will still be on low pay" Ian explains "There have been some successes in states like Seattle which has introduced $15 an hour but even there McDonald's is trying to say that they shouldn't be entitled to that pay and have been challenging it. Where the $15 has been introduced it's had no impact on job losses in the economy, so it proves the lie that paying people decently destabilises the economy.
"We are trying to unionise McDonald's, that's the aim, but people on zero hours contracts are scared of joining in case they don't get any more work" he explains "Despite all the claims that they are prepared to work with trade unions whenever we've had days of action, or whenever we've tried to meet the company, they've put up a brick wall.
"This is a massive global event" he adds "We're going to be joining up with people in disputes, campaigns such as the privatisation of National Art Gallery, ending workfare, supporting sacked workers...we intend to join right across the world against poverty pay and poverty pay employers."
Fast Food Rights Protest
Wednesday 15th April noon
McDonald's Cross Lane/Crescent M5 4AJ
For more details see the Fast Food Rights website – click here
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