About 50 protesters picketed outside a store in Auckland yesterday claiming the company is putting pressure on workers to leave the union.
Employment law specialist Geoff O'Sullivan says it's a PR disaster.
“It’s one thing to be seen as either pro or anti-union but it would be quite another thing to be seen as having taken active steps to discourage membership or in fact to discourage people to leave the union,” says Mr O’Sullivan.
The Unite Union has filed legal proceedings with the Employment Relations Authority, accusing Burger King of denying workers their rights by keeping them on minimum wages and exploiting migrant workers.
National director Mike Treen says around 200 people have been compelled to quit the union in the past three months.
"This was done through bullying and pressure. In some cases people were kept in a room for an hour or more and in other cases they were told they would not ever get promoted at Burger King," says Mr Treen.
Burger King says it’s a responsible employer which cares about employees, but would prefer a constructive discussion with Unite Union rather than airing concerns through the media.
RadioLIVE/3 News
Source: Argentine Beef Packers S.A.
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