Victory for Fast Food Workers!
Unite Union campaigned to End Zero Hours contracts during negotiations with the major fast food companies. During this time public pressure mounted and we successfully negotiated for all workers at McDonalds, Burger King and Restaurant Brands (KFC, Pizza Hutt, Starbucks and Carls Jr) to have guaranteed hours. Fast food companies abandoned zero hours contracts under combined pressure from the public, union, and workers.
But this is not the end- Unite has it sights set on other food and hospitality companies and other industries - Casinos - Security - Cleaners - Retail - Call Centres - to mention a few. And we really need a law change to bring the whole country into line. If you are ready to support this on-going campaign then sign-up and we will be in touch soon with details of the next zero hours target.
Who's joining
-- Dec 09, 2015 --
We have had some reports of members being asked to change their "desired hours" and availability on Serveme recently.
Our advice is simple: do not make any changes unless you want to.
Reducing your availability or "desired hours" is likely to reduce your paid and Guaranteed Minimum Hours (GMH) as follows:
-- Nov 06, 2015 --
-- Nov 05, 2015 --
By Robert Reid, General Secretary, First Union
(Reprinted from The New Zealand Herald)
It seems Employment Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse is making an art of the political U-turn.
This is the Minister who, after promising to strengthen health and safety law, introduced a Bill that weakened it. This is the same Minister who, after voting against Easter trading changes in 2012, has introduced a Bill that makes very similar changes to the ones he voted against.
Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse breaks promises on Campbell Live to end zero-hour contracts
-- Oct 30, 2015 --
Fast-food worker David Cannon has experienced the pitfalls of casual work. By Shane Gilchrist on Mon, 26 Oct 2015. (Reprinted from the Otago Daily Times) Labour Day may be less of a moment to celebrate hard-won workers' rights of the past, and more an opportunity to reflect on where they have gone. Shane Gilchrist reports. It's been a few years since David Cannon approached his bank for a loan so he could pay for repairs to his car yet, clearly, the episode still rankles. ''I was on a zero-hours contract, so the bank refused me because I had no guaranteed...
-- Sep 24, 2015 --
By Helen Kelly, President, NZ Council of Trade Unions Reprinted from The Standard We have the documents leading up to the what can only be described as a dreadful piece of law legalising employment agreements which tie workers to an employer without any of the reciprocity of guaranteed hours of work. It all started with the spectacular Unite campaign against “zero hour” contracts in fast food. These 24/7 businesses employ thousands of workers, make loads of money from their efforts but were exploiting shite employment law to engage workers on contracts that forced them to be available any time day...
-- Aug 24, 2015 --
Mike Treen addresses low-paid workers at a protest in April Reprinted from TV3 News Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse, already under fire this week over his controversial health and safety reforms, has now been accused of lying about wanting to end zero-hour contracts. After a successful campaign earlier this year by Unite Union to get rid of zero-hour contracts in the fast-food industry, Mr Woodhouse said they were "unfair", "unbalanced" and soon to be "unlawful". But Unite says his new Bill, introduced last week, is "truly horrifying" and actually "makes the situation worse". "The new law actually legalises zero-hour contracts, whereas in...
-- Feb 23, 2015 --
A major survey of fast food workers in New Zealand has exposed the reality of “Zero Hour Contracts” for workers and some of the myths used to justify them.
Over a thousand fast food union members working for the major brands in New Zealand responded to Unite Union’s online survey, with nearly 700 giving detailed information on their working hours over the previous four weeks. That is the biggest response Unite Union has ever had to a member survey.
-- Feb 13, 2015 --
2014 was a massive year for Fast Food workers in the U.S. Two McDonalds’ workers from Los Angeles are visiting New Zealand to tell the story and work with fast food workers in New Zealand to keep building the momentum. Genoby Jaimes, 27, has worked at McDonald’s for 6 years and only makes $9.75 an hour. She is a mother of a six year old son. Anggie Godoy,19, has worked at McDonald’s for a year and makes $9 an hour. They will be speaking at the National Fast Food Workers day on Sat Feb 14th (9am, Trades Hall, 147 Great North...
-- Feb 11, 2015 --
Wendy’s workers from five stores in Auckland and Papakura walked off the job yesterday over the company’s theft of their right to “alternative days” off or “lieu days” for working on a public holiday.
-- Feb 05, 2015 --
Great news from more Unite members as we get ready to kick off the campaign to end zero hours contracts. A second employer in the hotel industry has agreed to a secure hours clause with Unite Union.
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