Fast food employers to use minimum wage rise to restrict wage increase for workers

"Fast food employers will use the miserly 25 cent rise in the minimum wage to restrict the pay increases for thousands of workers," said Unite Union National Director Mike Treen.

"Over the next few weeks we will be beginning negotiations for workers in McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Burger King. These companies have about 20,000 employees and in the past they have been very reluctant to pay above what they are legally required to.

"Some companies like Burger King still have the big majority of their workforce on the minimum wage despite some of them working for the company for a decade or more. All of them use the minimum wage as the entry rate.

"We will be fighting for steps to get all workers off the minimum wage as quickly as possible and able to progress to a livable wage. In addition workers need much better security of hours with most fast food companies refusing to guarantee hours despite years of service."

ENDS

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