The 4th October looks set to be a historic moment in the movement to organise 'gig economy' and hospitality workers in the UK.
Thousands of workers are expected to take part in international hospitality sector strikes this Thursday, including in cities across the UK.
The Bakers union (BFAWU), War on Want and Unite are leading a UK campaign for workers’ rights and ending poverty pay, with demonstration due to hit cities this Thursday.
It follows McDonald’s, TGI Fridays and Wetherspoons workers’ announcement of coordinated strike action. Uber Eats & Deliveroo couriers will be joining them in taking action this Thursday.
Uber Eats couriers, as part of the IWW Couriers Network, are also organised in the Independent Workers of Great Britain and GMB, and have decided to not log-on in protest over a cut in the rates for deliveries. They are demanding £5 per drop & £1 per mile as a minimum rate.
Workers in Wetherspoons (the Bright Helm and Post & Telegraph, Brighton), TGI Fridays (Milton Keynes, Covent Garden & Stratford Westfield) and McDonald’s (Brixton, Crayford, Cambridge and Watford) will be striking over tips, poverty pay (for £10/hr) and for union recognition on the same day.
The strikes:
- National Food Delivery Courier Shutdown / Uber Eats strikes to take place in Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Plymouth, Southampton (called by IWW Couriers Network, IWGB and GMB).
- The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is joining the national shutdown of food delivery Couriers. IWGB / Unite Private Hire Driver (UPHD), including Uber drivers will be taking action and protesting in solidarity on the day.
- GMB London Region calls on gig-economy members from Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Yodel Couriers, Hermes, Uber, Addison Lee and Green Tomatoes, DPD, UK Mail & Amazon & others to take action on the day.
- US Fast Food workers to strike on 04 October too, as part of #FastFoodGlobal
- Momentum are mobilising activists across the country, with local groups organising solidarity actions.
- Fast food workers from four continents are set to come to the UK to show solidarity in this global movement.
- Solidarity actions also taking place in Aberystwyth, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield. Swansea, Wrexham (with more being organised)
- International demonstrations for fast food workers rights will take place in Chile, Colombia, USA, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Philippines and Japan as part of #FastFoodGlobal
Hospitality workers from four continents are coming to London to show solidarity with striking hospitality workers. An International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) conference will take place in London on the 3rd October at Unite HQ.
Protests near you:
- Brighton, 00:01-01:00, Midnight Picket: Workers at the two Wetherspoons pubs going on strike will rally with community supporters.
- Brighton: 18:30 Rally: Community rally in support of striking Wetherspoons workers. [Meeting at Clock Tower]
- Brixton (London): 08:00-09:00, Morning Picket: Workers at the McDonald’s will rally with community supporters.
- Leicester Square (London): 11:00-12:00 Rally: Striking workers and hospitality workers (Including McDonald’s, TGI Fridays, and Wetherspoons strikers, international fastfood workers & others) will come together for a rally to demand improved working conditions across the hospitality industry. Frances O’Grady TUC General Secretary to speak.
- Uber HQ (London): 17:00 London Uber Eats Strike: meeting point / Uber Demonstration: Meet 5pm Uber HQ at Aldgate Tower.
- Cardiff: 17:00, UberEats Strike: strikers will meet at 17:00 Queens St McDonald’s
- Glasgow: 12:00 UberEats strike strikers will rally @ George square,
- Glasgow: 18:00, UberEats strike18:00 evening rally @ George square
JD Wetherspoons workers were inspired by the McStrike and joined the BFAWU. This will be the first time Wetherspoons workers have been on strike in the company’s history.
TGI Friday’s #AllEyesOnTGIs strike is the eighth by workers at TGI Fridays restaurants in Covent Garden and Milton Keynes, since 18 May 2018. Workers from Stratford City are walking out for the second time. Unite members there have come together against ‘tip theft’, and are striking over the company’s refusal to listen to their concerns after a change in tip policy left them £250 a month worse off.
#McStrike: Last month McDonald’s workers organised in the BFAWU made history when members at two McDonald’s stores went on strike for £10 an hour, an end to zero hour contracts and for their right a union. They won a ten-year record pay rise. On 1st May 2018 – International Workers Day – workers at five McDonald’s stores also went out on strike.
Fast food workers in the US will also be going on strike between between October 2nd and 4th, in tandem with strikes and rallies by airport, hospital, child-care and higher education workers, and other low paid workers. The strikes will be centred in cities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, California and Connecticut.
A full list of solidarity actions and strikes called will be kept updated here: www.waronwant.org/ffs410
Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.
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