McDonald's strike wins biggest pay rise in ten years

photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

A McDonald's worker

McDonald's workers employed at company-owned restaurants will be receiving their biggest increase in pay in ten years on 22 January.

Workers organised in the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) took historic strike action at stores in Crayford and Cambridge on 4 September last year over pay, conditions and bullying. As a result they have now won a significant pay rise for themselves and all McDonald's workers in the UK.

BFAWU general secretary Ronnie Draper hailed the increase in pay and said: "When people say that strikes achieve nothing, they should look at the changes taking place within McDonalds. These brave workers have taken on the second largest employer in the world, and are winning."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also congratulated the workers and BFAWU on their victory by tweeting: "Congratulations to McDonald's workers and BFAWU for winning pay rises but the fight for Ł10 an hour is not over".

Exploitation

Indeed. Exploitative youth rates paid to those between the ages of 16-25 are set to continue - they will still not be paid the Ł10 an hour that their over-25 workmates will receive. As well as this, franchise-owned branches, which make up 65% of those in the UK, will still continue to set their own rates of pay.

At my restaurant the franchise owner says workers will be paid in line with the company's announcement, but whether this will happen remains to be seen, especially given that in the past workers have sometimes been underpaid for work that they have done.

For this reason BFAWU will continue organising in restaurants up and down the country, including in my own, to ensure that all McDonald's workers win Ł10 an hour, trade union representation and fair treatment.

Donate to the Socialist Party

Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.