Young Campaigners Brand ‘National Living Wage’ Fool’s Gold

Around thirty people gathered together in Leicester this evening as part of a global day of action (#FastFoodGlobal), that saw fast food and low waged workers uniting in the fight for higher pay, union rights and respect and dignity at work.

The Leicester protest took place outside McDonalds in the city centre with campaigners dressed up as Ronald McDonald, a Minion, and a Fox to highlight the use of zero-hour contracts and cheap labour at McDonalds and Leicester City Football Club.

The action was organised by Youth Fight for Jobs and the Fast Food Rights campaign, Hungry for Justice, which was set up by the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU). The GMB union also supported the action.

Lucy Nuttall, 19 years old, currently a full-time student, said:

“Perhaps it was no co-incidence that the government’s new ‘National Living Wage’ was introduced on April Fool’s Day. Not only has this so-called ‘wage rise’ offset by welfare cuts in thousands of cases, but for young people like me a living wage simply doesn’t exist. From 1 April onwards, under 25s will be earning 7% less than their older co-workers purely because of age. Why should multinationals making mega-profits get a new licence to discriminate against young people?

“What’s more, I know this won’t just make life harder for young workers. With insecure and zero-hour contracts on the rise – many employers will try and use youth exemptions as an excuse to cut the hours, and even the jobs, of older workers. That’s why I’m not buying into Osborne’s divide and rule agenda. All workers, young and old, deserve wages that genuinely reflect the cost of living, and equal pay for equal work. Youth Fight for Jobs helps to organise workers to fight for a minimum wage of £10 an hour without exemptions.”