On May the 1st 2018 McDonald’s workers will go on strike in 5 franchises across the UK, demanding a pay rise to £10 an hour and the right to fixed-hour contracts.
These walkouts follow strikes, organised by members of the Bakers and Allied Food Workers (BFAWU) trade union, in two restaurants last year led to 5% pay increases in all McDonald’s owned (ie. non-franchised) restaurants across the UK, with the increased wage serving as the recommended wage for franchised restaurants. This shows that the classic strategies of unionisation and industrial action work in putting pressure on management over pay and conditions.
IWW Couriers Network (and its constitutive local networks in Scotland and Cymru) wish to express our solidarity with all McDonald’s workers across the UK, and in particular those with the collective strength and courage to organise in their workplaces to improve their conditions and wages.
Many of our network work for UberEats, for whom McDonald’s is a major partner. This means that we are spend much of our time in McDonalds restaurants, and in contact with McDonald’s workers, in oten stressful situations. We want to make clear that we recognise you as fellow workers, and recognise your struggle as our struggle. We must not let Uber’s algorithms or McDonald’s management pit us against each other!
We look forwards to building on good relationships between food delivery couriers and McDonald’s workers, and having the opportunity to support each other in fighting for better working conditions and pay deals in future.
Solidarity with McDonald’s workers!
Living Wage and Secure Employment for all!
There’s Power in a Union!
For any requests for further comment please contact: couriers.network [at] iww [dot] org [dot] uk