“Fast Food Shutdown – #FFS410” Thursday 04 October: Actions across UK and the Globe
- Growing number of workers come out in support of hospitality strikes on 4 October
- More Unions announce decision to join the BFAWU, War on Want and Unite in campaigning for workers’ rights and ending poverty pay on 04 October
- Locations and timings of strikes and solidarity actions across the UK have been released
Fast food workers around the UK and across the globe are joining together to take action on Thursday 04 October following McDonald’s, TGI Fridays and Wetherspoons workers’ announcement of coordinated strike action.
- National Food Delivery Courier Shutdown / Uber Eats strikes to take place in Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Plymouth, Southampton (called by IWW Couriers Network, IWGB and GMB).
- The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is joining the national shutdown of food delivery Couriers. IWGB / Unite Private Hire Driver (UPHD), including Uber drivers will be taking action and protesting in solidarity on the day.
- GMB London Region calls on gig-economy members from Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Yodel Couriers, Hermes, Uber, Addison Lee and Green Tomatoes, DPD, UK Mail & Amazon & others to take action on the day.
- US Fast Food workers to strike on 04 October too, as part of #FastFoodGlobal
- Momentum are mobilising activists across the country, with local groups organising solidarity actions.
- Fast food workers from four continents are set to come to the UK to show solidarity in this global movement.
- Solidarity actions also taking place in Aberystwyth, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield. Swansea, Wrexham (with more being organised)
- International demonstrations for fast food workers rights will take place in Chile, Colombia, USA, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Philippines and Japan as part of #FastFoodGlobal
Uber Eats & Deliveroo couriers and have decided to join McDonald’s, TGI Fridays and Wetherspoons workers in taking action on Thursday 04 October. Uber Eats couriers, as part of the IWW Couriers Network and joined by IWGB and GMB have decided to not log-on in protest over falling drop rates. They are demanding £5 per drop & £1 per mile as a minimum rate.
Fast food Workers in the US will also be going on strike between Oct. 2 and Oct. 4, in tandem with strikes and rallies by airport, hospital, child-care and higher education workers, and other low paid workers. The strikes will be centered in cities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, California and Connecticut
Hospitality workers from four continents are coming to London to show solidarity with striking hospitality workers. An International Union of Foodworkers [IUF] conference will take place in London on the 3rd October at Unite HQ.
Workers in Wetherspoons [Bright Helm and Post & Telegraph, Brighton], TGI Fridays (Milton Keynes, Covent Garden & Stratford Westfield) and McDonald’s (Brixton, Crayford, Cambridge and Watford) will be striking over tips, poverty pay (for £10/hr) and for union recognition.
Notes to editors:
For further information or to organise interviews with workers please contact Owen Espley: oespley[@]waronwant.org / +44 (0)7861 362 797 / 020 7324-5058
Times and Places of Actions:
A full list of solidarity actions and strikes called will be kept updated here: www.waronwant.org/ffs410
- 00:01-01:00 Brighton: Midnight Picket Brighton: Workers at the two Wetherspoons pubs going on strike will rally with community supporters.
- 08:00-09:00 Brixton Morning Picket Brixton Workers at the McDonald’s will rally with community supporters.
- 11:00-12:00 Leicester Square Rally: Striking workers and hospitality workers (Including McDonald’s, TGI Fridays, and Wetherspoons strikers, international fastfood workers & others) will come together for a rally to demand improved working conditions across the hospitality industry. Frances O’Grady TUC General Secretary to speak.
- 17:00 Cardiff UberEats Strike: strikers will meet at 17:00 Queens St McDonald’s
- 12:00 Glasgow UberEats strike strikers will rally @ George square,
- 17:00 London Uber Eats Strike: meeting point / Uber Demonstration: Meet 5pm Uber HQ at Aldgate Tower.
- 18:00 Glasgow UberEats strike 18:00 evening rally @ George square
- 18:30 Brighton Rally: Community rally in support of striking wetherspoons workers. [Meeting at Clock Tower]
- More information on the coordinated strike can be found here: https://fastfoodrights.wordpress.com/
- Details of the IWW Couriers Network Strike can be found here: https://iww.org.uk/news/iww-couriers-network-why-we-strike/
- #SpoonStrike: JD Wetherspoons workers were inspired by the McStrike and joined the BFAWU. This will be the first time Wetherspoons workers have been on strike in the company’s history.
- TGI Fridays #AllEyesOnTGIs: This is the eighth strike by workers at TGI Fridays restaurants in Covent Garden and Milton Keynes, since 18 May 2018. Workers from Stratford City are walking out for the second time.
- They have come together to say enough to low pay and tip theft, and are striking over the company’s refusal to listen to their concerns after a change in tip policy left them £250 a month worse off, and to challenge unfair practices that cheat them out of money they’re rightfully owed.TGI Fridays workers are members of Unite.
- #McStrike: 04 September 2018, McDonald’s workers organised in the BFAWU made history when members at two McDonald’s stores went on strike for £10 an hour, an end to zero hour contracts and for their right a union, winning a ten year record pay rise. 01 May 2018, (International Workers Day) workers at five McDonald’s stores went out on strike.
- The BFAWU is the largest independent trade union in the food sector in the British Isles and spearheads the The McStrike and Fast Food Rights They aim to ensure fast food workers have the right to a fair wage and decent working conditions across the country.
- Unite represents workers in Britain and Ireland with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.
Ends
Fast Food Rights 