Big Pay Out: Protest and Free Concert this Sat 1pm Britomart

Press Release: SupersizeMyPay.com/Unite Union Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 9.30am

Big Pay Out: Protest and Free Concert This Sat 1pm Britomart

Striking Fast food workers are inviting members of the public to join them at Britomart this Saturday the 18th at 1pm for a protest march up Queen St to the free Big Pay Out concert in Myers Park.

The protest and concert is in support of the SupersizeMyPay.com campaign for a $12 minimum wage now, an end to discriminatory youth rates and for secure hours and will be led by fast food workers who will be striking at selected stores across Auckland.

The protest will begin at Britomart at 1pm at the bottom of Queen St with speakers and hip hop duo (and Unite union members) MC Fyzykl and DJ Manufacture.

The protest will then march up Queen St to Myers Park to join the Big Pay Out free concert at 2pm which includes famous and up-and-coming New Zealand bands 8 Foot Sativa, Stylus ,Olmecha Supreme, Shona Laing and Geneva.

Protesters will be welcomed into Myers Park by a Kapa Haka group.

Olmecha Supreme are the new low down dub band fronted by Imon Star from Rhombus.

Geneva are a young ska band with members who were some of the world’s first striking Starbucks workers.

“Despite all odds, minimum wage fast food workers in a small country in the south pacific have taken on some of the world’s largest fast food brands and won widespread support within the community,” said Simon Oosterman, SupersizeMyPay.Com campaign co-ordinator. “In an industry with a high turnover rate, little previous knowledge of unions and an ultra-vulnerable workforce of mainly young, female, Maori and migrant workers – no-one thought it could be done.”

“But the campaign has successfully taken action that has included the world’s first Starbucks strike and has even forced the world’s largest fast food company, McDonald’s, to back down after threatening to sue workers for taking legal strike action.

"The campaign has been funded entirely by the low paid union members themselves and has been driven almost completely by volunteers in their spare time after work. The Big Pay Out protest and concert is a chance for the public and other low paid workers to show their support for the campaign - and to all low paid workers in New Zealand - and to sit back, relax and listen to music donated by bands who support our growing movement,” he said.

Unite expects more than 1000 supporters

ENDS

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