The Dublin McDonald’s strike, 1979

The strikers’ demands were simple – union recognition and an end to low pay.

March 17, 2020 by Peoples Dispatch
The Dublin McDonald's strike, 1979_

On March 16, 1979, workers at Dublin’s McDonald went on a strike under the banner of Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (ITGWU) no. 4 branch. The strikers’ demands were simple – union recognition and an end to low pay. Pay was only 85p per hour, a very low rate even for the catering industry. Management refused to recognise the union or even to talk over the phone to the union officials. Six month after the strike began, the McDonald management gave in to the workers’ demands.