Living Wage
Workers in the fast food industry are expected to be joined this afternoon by members of union GMB in a protest over wages.
The demonstration is due to take place outside McDonald’s in Whitehall, Central London at 5pm. The campaign is fighting to secure a £10 an hour living wage, trade union rights for fast food workers and an end to zero-hours contracts.
Following this, a forum will take place at 6.30pm in Room 8, House of Commons, Westminster. Fast food workers across the UK and US will be joined by speakers John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) president Ian Hodson, and Kevin Rowan of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
“Fast food workers are organising and fighting back,” said Kamaljeet Jandu, GMB national officer. “In the UK and America, fast food workers are forced to live in poverty by multinational and hugely profitable companies like McDonald’s.
“While McDonald’s has raked in profit at the expense of its workers, it has been exposed as not paying its tax. McDonald’s is in the dock. GMB is inviting the public to join fast food workers in the fight for higher wages, union rights and respect at work.”
Today’s events follows a series of protests across the UK last November, outside fast food outlets and Marks & Spencer, to stand alongside workers in New York City campaigning for a real living wage of $15 per hour.