Workers at two restaurants in England have voted to strike in what would be the first industrial action taken against the fast-food chain in Britain

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

McDonald’s could face its first strike on British soil after workers at two of the fast-food chain’s outlets backed a call for industrial action.

Staff at restaurants in Cambridge and in Crayford, south-east London, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike amid concerns over working conditions and the use of zero-hour contracts.

The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union said staff were demanding a wage of at least £10 an hour and more secure working hours alongside the recognition of the right to form a trade union as employees of the company.

In a statement, the BFAWU said: “Workers have found themselves living on low wages with no guarantee of hours. This has been viewed by some as punishment for joining a union, and has seen employees struggle to meet their rent payments, whilst some have even lost their homes.”

The UK “national living wage” stands at £7.50 for workers aged 25 and over. Those aged 21 to 24 are entitled to the national minimum wage of £7.05.

McDonald’s staff in the US are leading a campaign to be paid $15 (£11.65) an hour, supported by the Service Employees International Union.

Ian Hodson, BFAWU national president, said: “We at the BFAWU fully support the historic decision by these brave McDonald’s workers to stand up and fight back against McDonald’s, a company that has let them down one too many times.

“McDonald’s has had countless opportunities to resolve grievances by offering workers a fair wage and acceptable working conditions. This is a call for change.”

McDonald’s, which employs around 85,000 staff in the UK and 1 million worldwide, announced in April that workers would be offered a choice of flexible or fixed contracts with minimum guaranteed hours.

The move followed trials in 23 restaurants, which will be extended to 50 more sites before being rolled out nationally.

It also promised that by May workers paid by the hour will have received an average hourly pay increase of 17% over the past two years.

A spokesman for McDonald’s said: “We can confirm that, following a ballot process, the BFAWU have indicated that a small number of our employees representing less than 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. We are proud of our people at McDonald’s. They are at the heart of all we do and we work hard to ensure that our teams are treated fairly. Our internal processes underpin that commitment.”