SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO JOIN A UNION

UNITE has been contacted several times in recent month by

young people who have just started working at McDonalds.

What they have told us is that they were asked to sing a

document pledging that they would not join a union.

Despite the new 'Work Choices' legislation it is still illegal for

bosses to coerce a person into not joining a union. Under the

Workplace Relations Act all employees have the right to belong

to a union if they so wish.

Unfortunately none of these workers were given copies of this

documentation. UNITE believes that either McDonalds knows

this is unlawful behaviour and therefore does not give copies to

their employees or this document is carefully worded and is

used to give young people the impression thet they cant join a

union. Either way this is a form of intimidation and bullying

against young workers.

McDonalds have built their business on the backs of young

workers. Paying youth wages and employing most of their staff

on a casual basis is the key to their massive profit margins.

They know that if workers in their stores get organised in

fighting unions this will put them in a much stronger position to

argue for better wages and conditions.

This has been the case in other sectors. It has been the

presence of strong unions that has forced employers to pay

higher wages, improve conditions and provide workers with

some security in their lives.

If UNITE can get our hands on this document McDonalds are

asking workers to sign we will be seeking legal advice. If it is

identified that any freedom of association provisions have been

breached, a court may impose a fine or requite the payment of

compensation. The maximum fine for a breach of a civil remedy

provision is $33.000 for an incorporated body or $6.600 for an

individual.

The threat of small tines however is nothing to a multinational

company like McDonalds. The greater threat is that of having

to deal with an organised and unionised workforce......