Fast Food Companies Should Follow BP

Saturday, 11 March 2006,

SuperSizeMyPay.Com/Unite Union

Fast Food Companies Should Follow BP

SuperSizeMyPay.com is calling on McDonald’s, Burger King and Restaurant Brands (KFC, Starbucks, Pizza Hut) to follow oil giant BP and end youth rates.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and BP Oil have agreed to wipe youth rates from the 90 BP-owned service stations throughout New Zealand, benefiting hundreds of young workers.

SuperSizeMyPay.Com campaign co-ordinator, Simon Oosterman, said that young people were increasingly joining unions, taking action and winning.

“That a multinational corporation like BP has ended youth rates shows not only how deeply felt this issue is within the broader community, but also how successful the SuperSizeMyPay.Com campaign has been. BP is feeling the pressure and wants to be seen as a socially responsible employer and have proven the economic viability of ending youth rates once again.”

“Young workers and their older co-workers will continue their industrial campaign against McDonald’s, Burger King and Restaurant Brands until the companies realise that they can’t continue to pass the buck by putting responsibility for ending youth rates on the government. Companies will always have a moral responsibility – whatever the law allows - to pay their workers equally for doing work of equal value.”

Over a thousand Auckland school students, youth workers and supporters are expected to march from Britomart, at 1pm on Saturday the 18th of March, up to the “Big Pay Out” free concert at Myers Park at 2pm. The event includes famous New Zealand bands including: 8 Foot Sativa, Olmecha Supreme, Stylus, Shona Laing and Starbucks worker’s band, Geneva.

ENDS

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