McDonald’s could face first UK strikes

Fast-food company McDonald’s could face its first staff strike in the UK, after workers at two stores backed a call for industrial action.

Employees at McDonald’s restaurants in Cambridge and Crayford, near London, voted overwhelmingly for a strike.

The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) said staff wanted secure working hours and a £10 per hour wage.

A spokesman for McDonald’s said the fast-food company “works hard to ensure teams are treated fairly”.

“We can confirm that, following a ballot process, the BFAWU have indicated that a small number of our employees representing less that 0.01% of our workforce are intending to strike in two of our restaurants.”

“As per the terms of the ballot, the dispute is solely related to our internal grievance procedures.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour’s Shadow Secretary for Business, Environment and Industrial Strategy, said: “The strike at McDonald’s is motivated by working people coming together to fight for decent pay and working conditions.”

The company in April announced that staff would be offered a choice of flexible or fixed contracts with minimum guaranteed hours.

McDonald’s, employs around 85,000 staff in the UK and one million worldwide.