China's state-run trade union wants McDonald's and other fast-food chains to make up wages for part-time staff who it said have been consistently underpaid, state media reported yesterday.
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions made the call after a probe confirmed McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut had underpaid part-time workers in the southern city of Guangzhou, the China Daily said.
"A joint investigation [with] the labor authorities confirmed media reports about the companies' unlawful practice," said Li Shouzhen, who is a senior union official, as reported by the newspaper.
"The federation will uncompromisingly fight any practice that violates workers' rights," he said.
Li said that his federation had requested that its branch in Guangdong Province negotiate with the companies on behalf of the approximately 3,000 underpaid part-time workers, most of whom are university students, to help them get compensation.
The New Express newspaper based in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, reported last week that the three companies were paying part-time workers up to 40 percent less than the province's minimum wage of 7.5 yuan (US$0.97) per hour.
Minimum wage varies from province to province in China.
The newspaper also accused the restaurant chains of demanding that their part-time employees work full-time, while denying them the corresponding benefits.
The case has attracted broad public attention, prompting the local labor authorities in Guangdong Province to initiate a pay investigation across the whole province in search of other pay violations.
Li said that his federation and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security would jointly launch a nationwide investigation next month into companies' payment to employees.
The probe will include search for violations of minimum wage regulations and other clauses in labor contracts.
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