EFFAT Stands With Fast-Food Workers!

12 November 2019
PRESS RELEASE

EFFAT stands with fast food workers striking for fair wages & decent conditions

Tuesday 12 November 2019 marks an international day of action for fast food workers’ rights. Across the EU and the USA, fast food workers are demanding a living wage, decent working conditions and their right to join a union – and EFFAT stands in solidarity with all of them.

In the UK, workers from several unions – including EFFAT affiliates BFAWU and Unite the Union – as well as War On Want came out in support of the #McStrike movement pushing for respect for workers’ rights and an end to poverty pay. Beginning in 2017, these strikes have now spread throughout the hospitality sector in the UK and are calling for £15 per hour. In London, striking workers were joined by prominent Labour Party politicians including Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP and Brexit Spokesperson Sir Keir Starmer MP.

In Belgium, EFFAT affiliates FGTB Horval and FNV have been protesting in line with their ‘Fight for € 14’ campaign – inspired by the ‘Fight for $ 15’ movement which began in the fast food sector in the USA. ‘Fight for € 14′ is calling for a gross minimum wage of € 14 per hour, or € 2,300 gross per month.

In Germany, NGG has organised protests across the country, including in Hamburg and Kassel, to coincide with this international day of action and as part of the Fight for 12 campaign, which is demanding a salary increase to 12 € per hour and renewed collective agreements in the fast food industry – where current agreements are due to expire at the end of 2019.

And in Spain, Servicios CCOO have been out in force under the slogan ‘Fast and Precarious’ calling for an end to the precarious work which characterises the fast food sector in particular.

Last week, at EFFAT’s 5th Congress in Zagreb, EFFAT and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) staged a mass photo action featuring all 350+ Congress participants to show its solidarity with fast food workers across the world demanding fair wages, decent conditions and union rights.

Today, EFFAT reiterates its commitment to ensuring a sustainable food supply chain with fair pay and decent working conditions for fast food workers and all workers that contribute to bringing food to our table. Together we must end the scandal of in-work poverty and precarious work in the global fast food sector and beyond.

Follow events and join in the conversation using: 

#FastFoodGlobal
#Fightfor15
#FastAndPrecarious
#Fightfor14
#McStrike
#SpoonStrike
#AllEyesonTGIs