The European Parliament's Petition Commission is to investigate working conditions in EU McDonald's restaurants. This decision by MEPs follows the receipt of three petitions, which gathered 31,000 signatures, and a meeting involving trade union representatives from Belgium, France and Britain.
Yesterday (Tuesday) these reprsentatives expressed their concern relating to the precarious employment conditions in the chain's restaurants.
The Belgian trade union insisted upon a new law relating to "flexi-jobs" and its use by the multinational. This Commission will question McDonald's and the Belgian government upon the matter.
The FGTB Horval (the branch of the general worker's federation representing the catering industry) is delighted about this point.
Amongst other things, MEPs wished to check the legality of the “flexi-jobs” mechanism in relation to European rules.
The Belgium trade union organisations in particular consider that “flexi-job” workers are discriminated against compared to other workers in the hotel and catering industry.
This is in relation to workers' rights, as well as social security. Moreover, the trade unions have filed an action for judicial review of the related legislation with the Constitutional Court.
The Brussels Times
