Workers of international fast food chain McDonald’s in Serbia accuse the company’s management of exploitation due to low wages, poor working conditions, long shifts, arbitrary transfers, insults and abuses

Workers at McDonald’s outlets in 15 major cities across the US participated in a one-day strike demanding wage hikes and union rights

The one-day strike will be held a day before the annual shareholders’ meeting. McDonald’s made $5 billion amid the pandemic last year but an average worker earns around USD 7.25 per hour.

As the Coronavirus pandemic is raging in the US, only 15% of the fast food workers have paid leaves left, leaving over 32 million workers in a difficult situation

The Raise the Wage Act that mandates the gradual hike in minimum wage to $15 an hour was approved by the US House of Representatives but will face a tough challenge in the Senate and president Donald Trump

Workers claimed that the company has been protecting liable executives by either dismissing complaints against them as hearsay or by retaliating against employees by withholding pay, creating a hostile work environment or terminating them.

The movement spans over 300 cities across the world. It is no longer limited to exploited employees in the fast food industry but has expanded to include home health aides, child care teachers, airport workers, adjunct professors and even retail employees.

The McStrike by McDonald’s workers on October 4 saw employees of firms such as TGI Fridays, Wetherspoon, UberEats and Deliveroo joining in, with the demands including a minimum wage of £10 per hour, recognition of unions and an end to ‘zero hour’ contracts