McDonald's accused of blocking unions in European restaurants

Allegations that fast-food giant McDonald's went to great lengths to keep out unions and block work councils will be made in a book due to be published next month.

Tony Royle, senior lecturer in comparative industrial relations at Nottingham Trent University and author of Working for McDonald's in Europe, has studied the company's dealings with differing employment laws in 12 European countries.

"McDonald's sets the agenda for the fast-food sector," Royle said. "It can be seen as depressing terms and conditions in the whole industry."

Royle said his six-year research uncovered "hundreds and hundreds" of unfair dismissal cases, particularly in Germany, France and Belgium.

Most, he said, were settled out of court.

In Denmark, he said, McDonald's had been trying to reverse a union agreement it was forced to accept after a year of boycotts in the late 1980s.

He found a similar culture among franchisees which, though legally separate entities, were financially dependent on McDonald's with little freedom of action.

Royle said that because there were weaker union laws in the UK there were fewer instances of extreme tactics to keep unions out.

A spokesman for McDonald's UK said many of the issues raised had "progressed greatly" since Royle began his study. "We are not anti-union but we always prefer to consult directly with staff," he said, pointing out that union membership in its sector had declined to one in 10.

Shopworkers' union USDAW disagreed. A spokesman said McDonald's had a "long-standing reputation of being anti-trade union" and that, while other caterers were coming round to union recognition, McDonald's and rival Burger King were not among them.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's Europe said the company's closeness to unions varied from country to country, but that "There are no anti-union policies in place."

And she insisted that staff were well-treated, claiming, "If they were not happy, we would not have the customers we have."

by Angela Frewin angela.frewin@rbi.co.uk

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 2-8 November 2000