Employees of restaurant organisation McDonald’s who are members of The Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) are undertaking strike action today (Tuesday 1 May 2018) in a dispute over pay, trade union recognition and fixed hour contracts.
BFAWU members who work across five McDonald’s restaurants, based across Cambridge, Crayford, Manchester and Watford, are participating in industrial action to achieve a minimum £10 an hour wage.
As of 22 January 2018, hourly base pay at McDonald’s corporate restaurants varies from a minimum of between £5.75 and £7.00 an hour for a 16 to 17-year-old crew member, to a maximum of between £9.50 and £11.75 an hour for a shift running floor manager. Among the other pay brackets in place, crew members aged between 18 and 20 can earn between £6.75 and £8.00 an hour, while crew members aged between 21 and 24 have an hourly wage of between £7.95 and £9.95 an hour.
Wage rates at McDonald’s franchise restaurants will vary slightly.
McDonald’s employees who are members of BFAWU are also striking to gain trade union recognition, to receive a choice of fixed hour contracts and to protest unequal pay for younger employees.
BFAWU members who are unable to attend the strike in person are supporting the action online.
A spokesperson at McDonald's said: "We are expecting industrial action outside five of our restaurants today with three strikes taking place this morning, we are currently able to confirm that across these three restaurants only one person who was scheduled to work took industrial action, other attendees were protesters and not our employees on strike.
“While we are disappointed, given our focus on putting people at the heart of our business, we are reassured that the number of our people involved is very low and an extremely small proportion of our UK workforce of 120,000.
“The intended strike action relates to pay and contracts. Over the last three years, we have taken a number of additional steps to ensure McDonald’s UK remains a great place to work. Since September 2015, we have made three significant pay moves, and to maintain the many benefits we offer, from the great training and development opportunities, to payment of overnight premiums, which so many businesses have taken from their people in recent times.
“As promised last year, everyone has now been offered a minimum guaranteed hours contract. Despite this, around 80% of our people have selected to stay on flexible contracts because they value the opportunity to fit their work around their other commitments.”
Ian Hodson, president at BFAWU, added: "The McStrike is growing and is on the road to victory. We will be supporting our members in McDonald’s as they take on the world’s second largest employer. The time for change at McDonald’s is long overdue.”
