McDonald’s staff are continuing to fight for a living wage after it was revealed the company’s boss was set for another pay rise.
Kayleigh O’Neill, 18, and Lauren McCourt, 23, waited outside the McDonald’s headquarters in east Finchley, London, this week, where the global chief Steve Easterbrook sometimes works.
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He received a £11million salary last year and it was expected to rise again next week, the Daily Mirror reported.
The two young women wore McStrike T-shirts, which referred the first ever employee strikes at McDonald’s last September over inadequate pay and zero-hour contracts.
The employees were also fighting for these two things as well as union recognition and a safer environment at work, which was detailed in a letter handed to McDonald’s UK boss Paul Pomroy.
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Ms McCourt, who earns £7.25 an hour doing night shifts at a 24-hour store in Manchester, said: ‘Our branch regularly posts its latest ‘record-breaking’ takings on our Facebook page.
‘But apparently McDonald’s can’t pay us the real living wage.’
Ms O’Neill, who is studying health and social care, was also upset with her £6.76 ‘youth rate’ pay at a London restaurant.
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The women were accompanied by two union leaders, Frances O’Grady who is TUC General Secretary and Ronnie Draper, who heads up the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU).
Mr Draper said staff were prepared to strike again if McDonald did not listen to their demands.
He said: ‘These aren’t people being exploited by some backstreet sweatshop, it’s a global brand.
‘Steve Easterbrook is earning £5,500 an hour but can’t afford to give his workers a basic pay rise?’
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McDonald’s responded to criticism over zero-hour contracts by saying both company and franchise staff had overwhelmingly chosen to take up ‘flexible’ contracts.
A spokeswoman added: ‘All of our people have been offered this choice and around 80% of our people have selected to stay on flexible contracts.’
It also said it took the safety of its staff ‘extremely seriously’ after Ms O’Neill and Ms McCourt said sometimes they felt scared after being bothered by male customers.
McDonald’s said it was in the process of responding to the letter handed into its HQ.
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