Unite NZ – Going from strength to strength!
Unite Union membership in New Zealand has more than doubled to nearly two thousand in Restaurant Brands stores after a union employment agreement was reached last week covering 3500 workers in Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut nationwide.
“The enormous surge in growth of membership reflects the workers support at the outcome of negotiations for a new union collective agreement,” said Unite National Secretary Matt McCarten.
“We have now reached between 50 per cent and 100 per cent membership density in most fast food stores, which is an extraordinary result considering four years ago membership in the sector was less than a paltry one per cent – and the union is still growing.
“Wage rates moved for Restaurant Brands workers by 75 cents and $2.25 per hour (6.75 per cent - 21.37 per cent), meaning 90 per cent of members’ wages increased by more than a $1 an hour.
“Restaurant Brands now pays between 50 cents and $3.00 more an hour for their long-serving and experienced employees than their competitors.
“However, Unite and McDonald’s are currently in negotiations and Burger King and Wendy’s negotiations take place later in the year.
“Unite is pleased that Restaurant Brands is leading the way in moving wage rates and by recognising the importance of these kinds of union agreements to workers.
“The entire fast food industry is made up of casual workers. Restaurant Brands has recognised this and has agreed to provisions that work towards more secure hours for their employees, including the formation of a joint union-employer working party to oversee this.
“Youth rates have also been completely removed, which will have a huge effect as over half of the workforce is under the age of 20 years.
“Three years ago Unite launched the Supersizemypay.com campaign to achieve $12 an hour, end youth wages and win more secure hours. We are proud to announce that this has been achieved.” McCarten concluded.
A few key points-
• From 1 April Restaurant Brands scrapped youth rates and there will be no new entrant’s rates, which means the starting rate for youth is immediately $12.
• Pay rates went up between 6.75 per cent and 21.37 per cent. The hard work of the members on these sites to push through their demand for $12 an hour has really paid off and this historical agreement lifts the bar further for the fast food industry.
• Restaurant Brands has committed to working towards providing more secure hours for employees. A joint working party has been formed to achieve this.
Secretary of UNITE in Australia, Anthony Main said “We were really happy to hear the news this week about the great work that is being done over in New Zealand. A victory for young workers anywhere in the world is also a victory for young workers in Australia.
“We congratulate our brothers and sisters on their fantastic efforts. Unite in New Zealand are definitely leading the way internationally when it comes to organising young people in the fast food sector.
“The job at hand for us here in Australia now is to try to replicate some of their successes in the years to come” Anthony said.
For more information visit: http://www.unite.org.nz/