The fast food company Wendy’s is refusing to introduce an industry standard 15 minute tea/coffee break while workers often work without breaks, says Unite, the fast-food workers union.

Unite members at the Greenlane Wendy’s store took a two hour strike action in a busy Sunday lunch-time period. Unite member Ana Leao, one of many delegates at the store, spoke to the media and said, ‘We want 15 minute breaks, and I’m here to stand up for all my workmates’. During the strike many customers who intended to shop at Wendy’s chose to turn away and take their custom to fast-food stores which have implemented 15 minute rest breaks.
In the week previous to the strike, workers at the Manukau Wendy’s Restaurant store told Unite organisers that they often work without breaks. On the day before Unite union visited the store, one worker had worked without a break from 7am until 2pm.
The young union member, Wiremu Jones-Kingi, 17, a full-time employee at Wendy’s Manukau said that it wasn’t the first time he had worked without breaks. “This isn’t the first time I’ve worked for 7 hours without a break, and by the time I was given a break it was almost time to go home” he said. “I’d even asked the assistant manager for a break and he refused and told me to keep working.”
Wiremu’s situation is not isolated to Wendy’s or the Manukau store. Under the Labour government there is no minimum legislation for rest breaks. Companies like Wendy’s exploit the current lack of minimum break regulations. Minimum rest provisions were removed in 1991 with the repeal of the Factories and Commercial Premises Act. There are thousands of workers throughout the country, precarious and permanent, who are not receiving adequate breaks, and many of them are pleased to be able to get behind the campaign to change the rest break regime at Wendy’s.
Unite has attracted hundreds of signatures from fast-food workers, customers and members of the public calling for the introduction of a 15 minute rest break. Unite is not only demanding that Wendy’s enforces their existing 10 minute break provisions, but has also been negotiating with the company for six-months, requesting that they introduce the standard industry break of 15 minutes.
In 2006 Unite Union won 15 minute breaks with Restaurant Brands who own Pizza Hutt, KFC, and Starbucks. Unite also won pay rises and secure work-hours clauses with Pizza Hutt, KFC, Starbucks, McDonalds and Burger King. Wendy’s is the last of the major fast-food companies to conclude a collective contract with Unite Union.