Published: 19/11/2023

During this year’s Global Day of Action for Fast Food workers, IUF affiliates called on the international fast-food giants to respect union rights through strikes, leafleting, and myriad solidarity actions. IUF affiliates across the globe report that union-busting is rampant in the fast-food industry, while workers face low wages, poor occupational safety and health, precarious working arrangements, and pervasive gender-based violence and sexual harassment.

  • Unions from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States joined in the day of action showing solidarity with fast food workers across the world fighting for their right to organize and collectively bargain.
  • Members of the IUF Young Workers Committee and the IUF LGBTI Workers & Allies committee joined IUF affiliate Nezavisnost in the streets of Belgrade to protest union-busting in the fast-food sector
  • Since 2021, over 350 Starbucks locations across the United States have voted in favour of union representation; however, the company has refused to sign a collective agreement and has instead pursued an aggressive union-busting campaign with over 150 union leaders terminated for organizing

Brandi Alduk, a Starbucks worker from New York, USA and a leader of Starbucks Workers United stated, “More than 5000 of us were on strike together on November 16! We are grateful for the global solidarity! We know this is larger than just us in the US, it’s a global fight! We stand together against the global fast-food industry in its attack on workers’ rights.”

More than 5000 of us were on strike together on November 16! We are grateful for the global solidarity! We know this is larger than just us in the US, it’s a global fight! We stand together against the global fast-food industry in its attack on workers’ rights.
Brandi Alduk, Starbucks worker from New York, USA and leader of Starbucks Workers United