Fast Food Rights day of action shows solidarity with US strikes

 

Thursday 15th May saw Fast Food Rights campaign protests take place in up to 20 towns and
cities across the UK as part of a global day of action targetting McDonald’s.

The day was centred around the largest fast food strikes yet in the US, where a movement of fast food workers’s strikes demanding $15 and union recognition has mushroomed since November 2012.

As US fast food workers embarked on a strike that would hit more than 150 cities, the IUF (international federation of food workers’ union) coordinated a global day of action that saw solidarity protests spread across over 30 countries. The day of action was launched on 7 May at an IUF hosted international conference, with delegates present from the BFAWU union and the Fast Food Rights campaign.

The day of action’s events in Britain saw a major protest at the McDonald’s on London’s Whitehall, and included protests at McDonald’s in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wigan, Bolton, Oxford, Bristol, Cardiff and Leicester.

The London protest saw a crowd of up to 100 take the street outside the entrance, chanting “McDonald’s bosses hear us say, Zero hours No Way!”, “Workers’ rights and better pay, Make the greedy bosses pay!” and “What do we want… A Living Wage… When do we want it… Now!”.

Speakers, included John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn MPs, Ronnie Draper general secretary of BFAWU bakers’ union who lead the campaign, and activists from supporting campaigns. Several passers by stopped to join the protest.

When speakers told of experience of the US fast food strikes and the Fightfor15 campaign, workers inside listened and smiled.

If you like to contact Fast Food Rights:

07795 412 932 / fastfoodrights@mail.com / @fastfoodrights FB page: Fast Food Rights