Information provided by the McLibel Support Campaign

McDonald's Workers Resistance (MRW)

McDONALDS' UK WORKERS FIGHT BACK

Introduction

In the UK there have been efforts within various stores over the years to organise, to join a trade union, or to challenge local store management. Naturally, there is discontent and anger in every store among those being forced to work so hard for such low wages, being bossed around like slaves, brainwashed by idiotic company propaganda, and then expected to smile all the time! And all so that McDonald's can make fat profits from its mediocre and useless products.

However, due to McDonald's repressive but sophisticated methods in opposing any workers challenging the status quo, there is a great need for outside support and solidarity. Over a million and a half people worldwide work for McDonald's - they work in similar conditions, carefully created and controlled by management to maximise company profits. McDonald's have pioneered methods of exploitation which have been widely taken up by other companies and corporations. All workers in the food industry, and in every industry under capitalism everywhere, are exploited - but McDonald's is an excellent symbol of a global economy dominated by institutions geared to profiteering. Resistance to McDonald's - whether communities opposing the siting of new stores, campaigners undermining their public image, or from store workers standing up to management power, shows that people everywhere can think for themselves and fight back. This is why we promote the annual October 12th Day of Action in support of McDonald's workers, and encourage ongoing support for them throughout the year.

In October 2000 we received a statement from MWR about their campaign (see below), and since then we have been publishing their magazine, their campaign updates, and their statments here on McSpotlight. Now, we have just received the McDonald's Workers Call for United Action Against the Company on World Anti-McDonald's Day for October 16th 2002. So get organising!