McDonald’s has announced it will offer its 115,000 UK employees the opportunity to switch from zero-hours contracts to fixed hour ones.

The fast food giant’s move follows a successful trial in 23 restaurants and franchise outlets across the UK.

About 20 per cent of the company’s workforce chose to move to fixed hours contracts following the trial, according to the company.

“From kitchen to counter to front of house, our people make McDonald’s. We wouldn’t be able to offer an enjoyable restaurant experience, serving great-tasting, quality food without them, so it’s important that we listen to them and change where we need to,” Paul Pomroy, chief executive officer of McDonald’s UK, said.

“The vast majority of our employees are happy with their flexible contracts, but some have told us that more fixed hours would help them get better access to some financial products. Thanks to the support of our franchisees, we are able to respond to our people’s needs, and will begin to roll out fixed hours’ contracts, including new joiners, across the course of the year,” he added.

Mr Pomroy confirmed that all hourly paid employees have had their pay increased by about 15 per cent since April 2015.

“The hard work of our restaurant teams has enabled us to deliver 44 consecutive quarters of growth in the UK. It’s right that we continue to invest in our people so they can deliver the experience that our customers want and expect,” the chief executive said.

Mr Pomroy had previously defended zero-hours contract saying workers “love the flexibility” it offers.

However, the use of zero-hours contract has also been criticised as a way for employers to buy themselves flexibility, not guaranteeing any set hours for employees and leaving them vulnerable to being out of work.

GMB, the union for McDonald’s workers, has long campaigned against the use of “exploitative” zero hours contracts.

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Paul Maloney, GMB regional secretary, said: “Workers at McDonald’s should be offered up to 40 hours of work a week, and permanent contracts to include annual leave, sick pay and a pension scheme.

“They deserve proper dignity at work, rather than exploitative, hand to mouth contracts.The Government needs to step in and stamp out the worrying rise in zero hours work across all sectors.”

McDonald’s decision is also a victory for the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), which has worked to expose the use of zero-hours contracts at the company through their “Fast Food Rights” campaign.

Ian Hodson, national president of the BFAWU, said: “The BFAWU have worked hard for a long time now to expose, and end, the use of zero-hours contracts at McDonald’s in the UK and we’re glad to see the company has finally caved in. These contracts are a shameful scourge on our society – there is simply no place for them at all.

“Once again, we have proved that worker mobilization works. And we won’t be stopping our efforts to hold McDonald’s accountable anytime soon. Together with other trade union movements around the world, we will continue to turn up the heat on McDonald’s to ensure they respect the rights of workers in the UK and worldwide.

“McDonald’s has – for too long – been a rule unto itself. Finally, it is being forced to change. This news is a step in the right direction."

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, some 905,000 people, or 2.8 per cent of the workforce, were on zero-hours contract between October and December last year.