Strike will take KFC 'off the menu' this weekend, union says
Friday, 17 May 2019
Hundreds of fast food workers will go on strike at KFC on Friday afternoon and stay off work the whole weekend, Unite union says.
'KFC is off the menu this weekend as hundreds of fast food workers employed by Restaurant Brands and members of Unite Union take strike action,' the union said on Friday morning.
The union has voiced displeasure at overtime limits, 'chronic staff shortages' and rosters.
Unite said for the past week, members had voted on the latest company offer, and on a secret ballot to authorise strike action. Restaurant Brands also owns Pizza Hut and Carl's Jr stores in New Zealand.
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'We have a clear majority of their staff as members. About 60 per cent,' Unite national director Mike Treen said.
'Members of all three brands can strike.'
'After six full days of negotiations Restaurant Brands is still insisting on cutting the margins for skilled and trained employees above the starting rate,' Unite national secretary Gerard Hehir said.
'The last pay increase offer for salaried members was less than 3 per cent,' Hehir said.
The union said the vast majority of members voting this week rejected the offer, and 88 per cent chose strike action.
Unite said it sent the company a notice on Friday morning.
The strike would start at 2pm on Friday and finish at 2am on Monday, Unite said.
Hehir said Restaurant Brands had been forced to increase the starting rate by the minimum wage increase 'and to match the $18 start rate of major competitors like McDonald's'.
He said the company wanted skilled and trained staff to pay the cost.
'Low wage employers need to realise that they can't get away with just increasing their lowest rate only and undervaluing their experienced and skilled staff,' Hehir said.
KFC employee and Unite negotiator Miquela Jordan-Subritzky said talks stalled after the company made some 'pathetic' claims.
'We came to the table and acknowledged most of their claims [but] reducing our breaks from 15 minutes to 10 minutes was just ridiculous.'
She said staff shortages were bad for customers as well as workers.
'It's horrendous. Customers get really upset, and rightfully so.'
She said the company claimed it didn't have the money for pay increases.
Workers from McDonald's and other companies were supporting KFC workers, Jordan-Subritzky said.
Dozens of drivers in private cars, commercial vehicles, and public buses tooted their support for the striking workers at the KFC in Auckland's Mount Wellington on Friday afternoon.
Restaurant Brands said negotiations with Unite 'have now stalled' and the company received the strike action notice.
The company said roughly 1,500 unionised employees wanted increases of more than 7 per cent on all existing wage rates.
Restaurant Brands said union members also wanted another 30c above the existing adult minimum wage increase, for entry level positions.
The company said its existing offer was ahead of or aligned with other fast food restaurant rates, and it was the leading employer in the QSR (quick service restaurant) sector for pay and conditions.
Restaurant Brands NZ chief executive Arif Khan said the company offered increases which balanced the impact of minimum wage increases with minimising costs to customers.
He said the company was the first QSR firm to scrap zero-hour contracts and have guaranteed days and fixed hours of permanent work.
'Restaurant Brands apologises if any customers are impacted during this period,' the company said.
In March, company chairman Ted van Arkel said the board was happy with total sales for the year ending February 25.
The company said sales sizzled to $794 million - up 7.2 per cent on the year before.