GMB Magazine GMB25 Centre Point Summer 2016 | Page 28

REGIONAL UPDATE from GMB All the news T O N E R ’ WE LOVING IT! GMB members demonstrate against the low wages paid by McDonald’s… M MOVE TTO DIREC DEBIT K .U MB.ORG WWW.G UNFAIR EMPLOYER Protestors raising awareness of McDonald’s low rates of pay. embers recently took a stand against corporate greed and low wages with a protest outside the McDonald’s in Stephenson Place, Birmingham. GMB is committed to ending the farce that is the current minimum wage for workers under 25 – just £6.70/hour. Did you know that despite all the recent hype around the introduction of the National Living Wage by the Tories the increase in the minimum wage for young workers on 1 April was zero? This means that they are expected to do the same amount of work as employees who are over 25, but for less money. How is this fair? Nowhere is this highlighted more strongly than with a corporation like McDonald’s, which exploits young workers by subjecting them to the kind of criminally low wages permitted under Cameron’s 2016 National Minimum Wage. GMB states that a real living wage is £10 per hour: the amount you need to live on without having to rely on state support. In some McDonald’s restaurants, despite working unsociable hours and shouldering responsibilities, young staff may get paid less than £5 per hour. This is clearly unacceptable, particularly BURGER OFF when you consider that GMB members are protesting across the UK. McDonald’s makes net profits every year running into millions of pounds, but it also avoids paying its fair share of tax in the UK by exploiting tax havens like Luxembourg. GMB has been protesting nationally over this kind of wage inequality. One was held outside a Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh, while GMB Southern and London Regions teamed £10 NOW! Fair pay for Young Members. up to hold a demonstration outside the Queen’s bank, Coutts, in London, calling on RBS to pay its security and cleaning staff a real living wage of £10 per hour. JOIN THE AIGN! CAMd P companies like Help to en ir staff McDonald’s exploiting theviour ha be ir the g tin by highligh Twitter – follow our campaign on the use d an ) ow dN (@10Poun . hashtag #10PoundNow the , ers The more follow ! more impact we’ll have GMB Women’s Conference 2016 Wanted – future leaders of the world! “I want every little girl who’s told she’s bossy to be told she has leadership skills instead,” said Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, and that’s the inspiring theme for this year’s GMB Women’s Conference! The conference takes place on 29 July 2016 at The Studio, Cannon Street, Birmingham, and starts at 9.30am. The packed programme will run to 4.30pm, and lunch and refreshments will be provided! To reserve your space, email Rebecca Mitchell: [email protected] We look forward to seeing all the future leaders of the world there. 28 CENTRE POINT – GMB Birmingham and West Midlands GMB25.Centre_Point_28_29.indd 28 04/06/2016 12:55