GFTU BGCM Minutes 2017

within the fast food industry who have joined them. Globally we have never

heard of strikes against McDonalds, but since 2012 they have inspired strikes

in South Korea, Japan, Belgium, New Zealand, Brazil, this is on top of all the

ones that have gone ahead in the States, and in all those countries we are

seeing improvements in the rate of pay that McDonalds are paying. I believe

the first strike against McDonalds in the UK is imminent. I believe that will be

led by our union at some time in the very near future. We will get our members

to take action against the poverty pay and the abuse they take within the

workplace. I believe some of our members also feel invigorated by what has

gone on in America.

Can I tell you the cases that we took, firstly. I took them into the European

Court in January 2016 and it was a joint petition with the journalists from Italy

and the American trade unions also helped to support that case and that was

against them not paying taxes in Britain. They paid their taxes in Luxembourg

at a much lower rate, so they were generating masses of money in our country,

our kids enjoying the unhealthy food that they put on a burger bun for them and

not doing anything to support our NHS, the fight against obesity and all that,

because they were paying their taxes where it was best for the company. That

has now changed, comrades, because now McDonalds have pledged that they

are going to pay some of the taxes into this country. Our President went in

February of this year and presented another case to the court and that was to

do with the use of exclusivity when it comes to zero hour contracts. Young

people who cannot get another job because they do not know what work they

have got tomorrow, but they are on a zero hour contract. It absolutely throws

me, the concept of a zero hour contract being called “employment”. How can

you be employed, have a job and there are no hours to it. To me, that is

unemployment and it is abuse when they want to use you at their beck and call.

McDonalds have now said, after a survey, “We are now going to start offering

all our employees work, we are going to give them some contractual hours”.

Let me tell you, that has got absolutely nothing to do with the goodness of

McDonalds directors’ hearts, that is to do with the fact that we challenged them

through the courts in Europe and we won and let’s hope that carries on.

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