adminLONDON. – Fast food giant McDonald’s should terminate franchise deals if branches are “not following labour law.”
British MP Darren Jones said claims of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying by current and recent UK staff from the fast food chain were “some of the most appalling” he had seen.
A BBC investigation has been told workers, some as young as 17, are being groped and harassed almost routinely.
McDonald’s has “deeply apologised”.
The fast food giant admitted that it had “fallen short”.
The BBC began investigating working conditions at McDonald’s in February after the company signed a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in which it pledged to protect staff from sexual harassment.
At the time, McDonald’s insisted it had a “strong track record in this area”, but the investigation revealed a different picture, with more than 100 allegations from McDonald’s workers relating to sexual assault, harassment, racism and homophobia over the past five months. Most workers are not directly employed by the company as McDonald’s uses a franchise system, which means individual operators are licensed to run the outlets and employ the staff.
McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private-sector employers.
The fast food giant has more than 170,000 people working in 1,450 restaurants.
Mr Jones, a Labour MP, told the BBC’s Today programme that the fast food chain must answer questions over how employment laws were being obeyed in its franchises and if such policies were in its contracts with local restaurants.
“I am sure they go in and check the quality of their burgers and whether their marketing standards have been put up properly and whether customers are happy with the quality of their milkshakes,” he said.
“But are they going in and talking to the staff and making sure that they are being treated fairly and in line with the law? It sounds like they are not.”
A spokesperson for McDonald’s said its franchisees are required to sign an agreement, including a stipulation they will comply with UK law. – BBC.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter