Media Release

9am 05/11/08

McDonald's workers will burn 'Ronald' outside Bosses conference

Unite Union members at around twenty restaurants in Auckland and Hamilton will take strike action and converge on the quarterly national conference of McDonald's bosses at an Auckland hotel.

Union members will rally outside Queen Street McDonald's at 12 noon before marching on the Hyatt Hotel to demand living wages and secure hours.

An effigy of "Ronald McDonald" will be burnt outside the hotel, to mark Guy Fawkes day and to symbolise workers anger that McDonald's bosses are happy to force workers to spend another long, hot summer working on poverty wages with no guaranteed hours of work.

The strikes mark the biggest day of strikes since the campaign began in September. Wellington McDonald's crew will also go on their first strike and hold a rally outside their Lambton Quay store at 12 noon in solidarity.

"Today at restaurants in three cities young, angry workers are telling the world's biggest fast food company that "we're not lovin'" low pay and unfair rostering," said Unite National Director Mike Treen.

"Last week we were told a worker with epilepsy collapsed on her way to work after being made to work a closing shift and then being rostered to start at 6:30am the next morning. Management ignored her pleas for regular shifts," continued Mr. Treen.

"Every day we are told new horror stories of work at McDonald's, more workers join our union and every week members at a new restaurant go on strike. If McDonald's bosses decide not to treat its workers with respect then burning Ronald will only be the beginning of a long, hot summer," concluded Mr. Treen.

ENDS

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