(Local police discuss protest with KFC management)
On 9 October, a worker at a local branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Pollokshaws on the southside of Glasgow – a supporter of FRFI and the Govanhill Defence Campaign – was suspended pending an investigation into what management termed the causing of ‘unrest and disruption’ amongst fellow KFC workers and for leaving ‘early’ on a previous shift. This disruption related to a current KFC policy which does not guarantee payment for any work done after midnight yet still expects left over work to be completed. Due to the amount of cleaning up work, KFC employees frequently don’t finish their shifts until 1am or after, thus working unpaid for an hour or more – a clearly illegal and exploitative practice. And yet, for raising this unfair treatment inside the shop, a worker has been victimised and suspended, with a ridiculous charge of ‘bringing the name of KFC into disrepute’! The worker was warned that he was not allowed to contact any of the other staff at KFC, which is a clear move designed to block the threat of others joining the protest. Though this warning not to contact fellow workers holds no legal basis, it serves as a useful way of intimidating other KFC workers away from communicating with the suspended individual for fear they might too be suspended.
In response, a picket of the shop was called at short notice and held on Sunday 10 October. Around a dozen people held a lively and militant demonstration for two hours. After distributing leaflets proclaiming ‘No pay? No work!’ and collecting signatures from customers in support of better conditions for workers and an end to victimisation, management demanded the protestors moved away from the shop entrance. The protest then moved to the edge of the car-park: KFC staff, customers and members of the public showed interest as cars turning into the car-park were stopped and asked to ‘Boycott KFC’ for the day. Those who refused were given leaflets and asked to at least raise the issue of KFC’s exploitative treatment of their workers as they were served. Those who agreed to boycott KFC for the day, around 10-15 cars, were cheered and seen off with the chant ‘KFC, KFC, KFC – OUR LABOUR AIN’T FREE!’ The KFC management, realizing that their efforts to disrupt the picket were futile, phoned the police with whom they held a ‘secret’ meeting on the other side of the KFC building. Unfortunately for them they were spotted and some pictures were taken. After approximately 20 minutes the police cleared off, no doubt with the suspended KFC worker’s details. Community Safety officers who had also been called in, drove away. After another successful half hour picketing the protest was called to an end.
KFC is owned by Yum! Brands, Inc which also operates or licenses Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Wingstreet, and Long John Silver’s restaurants worldwide. Based in Louisville, Kentucky it is the world’s largest fast food restaurant company in terms of system units—over 36,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. In 2008, Yum!’s global sales totalled more than $11 billion. Like many fast food outlets, KFC employs a high proportion of young, unskilled workers, at or just above minimum wage. Though the majority of its workforce is not unionized there have been occasions when fast food workers have stood up for their rights. In 2005 KFC employees in Balmoral, New Zealand went on strike in opposition to lower wage rates for young workers, leading to the announcement by Restaurant Brands in March 2006 to phase out youth rates in New Zealand. In Britain, KFC workers have no unions and thus are left with no protection against the profiteering and exploitative practices of their bosses.
The rights of low paid workers must be defended. Thirteen years of Labour government cemented the inequalities of neo-liberalism: ‘growth’ and ‘prosperity’ based on a low-skilled, flexible working-class, an unregulated labour market where working conditions deteriorated, wages stagnated and Thatcher’s anti-trade union legislation remained in place – the harshest in Europe. With the onset of economic crisis, rising unemployment and a vicious Tory-Lib Dem ‘austerity’ government, the working-class is against seeing wholesale attacks on its position. Millions of casual, part-time and agency workers, mainly in the private sector, have no voice in the multimillion-pound trade unions, which have consistently failed to organise the mainly young and unskilled workers exploited in industries like those of the fast food business. KFC’s midnight clocking out system is just one example of the abuse of workers in such conditions, repeated thousands of times everyday. These can only be challenged by mobilising the local community and other low paid workers against the multinational exploiters.
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! and the Govanhill Defence Campaign will be organising regular pickets and actions against KFC’s Pollokshaws branch in Glasgow – see http://govanhilldefencecampaign.blogspot.com for regular updates or email [email protected]
*Management’s investigation into the ‘disruption and unrest’ has apparently been brought to a close and a meeting with suspended worker has been arranged for Thursday.
