Do you want lies with that?
McDonald’s has responded to allegations that it deliberately denied over 250,000 workers their legal rest break entitlements, by once again denying it.
Just as they misled workers about the breaks they were owed, McDonald’s is now trying to mislead the media and Australian public about these allegations.
McDonald’s knows that the SDA has hundreds of examples of the union and workers raising the denial of breaks with franchisees and McDonald’s itself.
McDonald’s knows that the SDA raised issues of breaks compliance in the last two rounds of Enterprise Agreement negotiations. The SDA has the evidence to support this and has supplied this as part of existing legal proceedings.
Other major Australian corporations found to be underpaying their workforce have done the right thing - they’ve stepped up and backpaid their staff.
The fact a company as large as McDonalds, an employer of over 100,000 workers, including some of the youngest and most vulnerable, should have to be dragged kicking and screaming through the Federal Court to do the right thing is nothing short of a disgrace.
Background
Following almost 2 years of investigating exploitation and Award contraventions across the fast food chain, the SDA has lodged a mega Federal Court Claim against 323 McDonald’s operators - and the fast food giant itself - over the alleged denial of paid rest breaks.
The SDA estimates that this and separate action cover 250,000 workers over a 6 year period. The compensation for those workers is $250 million. The SDA is also seeking penalties against the fast food giant.
McDonald’s Statement
“Those arrangements have been known to the SDA for many years. The manner of taking breaks has not been challenged or raised by the SDA as a matter of concern throughout successive enterprise bargaining processes for new industrial agreements. We are very mindful of our obligations under applicable employment laws, including the former enterprise agreement and the Fast Food Industry Award, and continue to work closely with our restaurants to ensure employees receive all correct workplace entitlements and pay.”