Hong Kong labour unions, green group join forces to pressure McDonald’s

Hong Kong labour unions and a green group have joined hands to urge McDonald’s to respond to public appeals after the fast food chain sacked an artist known for taking on blue-collar jobs to champion workers’ rights.

The Alliance for Our McDonald’s, formed by 53-year-old artist activist Luke Ching Chin-wai and four other groups, announced on Saturday their debut at a birthday event at one of the chain’s outlets.

The coalition’s first campaign was to gather public feedback on the eatery whose management they deemed had failed to tolerate criticism.

Ching’s dismissal earlier this year had prompted the campaign. The artist was terminated by McDonald’s as a part-time janitor following his open letter to the chain’s CEO suggesting a resumption of mealtime pay for employees.

“As McDonald’s celebrates its 50th anniversary in Hong Kong, it should respond to changes instead of being nostalgic and talking about the past,” Wan Pok-kin, organiser of the Catering and Hotels Industries Employees General Union, one of the alliance founding members, said.

“We hope they can take actual actions to respond to the demands of employees instead of silencing them.”

McDonald’s Hong Kong earlier said an unnamed part-time worker repeatedly violated its policies by sharing internal operational and commercial information on public platforms throughout his six-month employment.