13 Apr 2015

McDonald's accused of dirty tactics

6:23 pm on 13 April 2015

A workers union is accusing fast food chain McDonalds of resorting to dirty tactics amid negotiations to scrap zero-hours contracts.

Unite represents 4000 workers in the fast food industry, including workers at McDonald's.

Unite represents 4000 workers in the fast food industry, including workers at McDonald's. Photo: 123RF

McDonalds this morning put out an offer, ensuring that all employees receive 80 percent of rostered hours up to a 40 hour cap.

Restaurant Brands, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Jr and Starbucks, has agreed to end zero hour contracts by July.

Unite Union's national director Mike Treen said McDonalds wanted to be seen as doing the right thing but its offer was meaningless and far from genuine.

"I thought it was a dirty way of doing it to be honest because they issued a press statement which didn't make clear this difference between rostered and hours worked, they put this our at 11.30 whilst we were in bargaining."

Mike Treen said there were several gaping holes in McDonalds' offer, and negotiations are set to continue tomorrow.

McDonald's said having reviewed the way its contracts are structured it understands that having security of hours was important to workers.

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