Update

This story was originally marked up on October 4th. Below the article and call you can now find a report on the many actions which took place today as part of the protest. Further reports are available at the MWR site

McDonalds Workers Resistance: October 16

Hi,

I'm writing to give you more information about the day
of action on Ocotber 16th and to invite you to
participate.

McDonalds workers, across the UK, Continental Europe,
Russia, North America and Australasia, will take
direct action against our employers. There will be
different sorts of actions, reflecting the different
organisations and individuals participating- some
strikes, some sabotage, go slows, partial walk outs,
'phone in sick days', etc.

It will be the first ever co-ordinated, international,
worker led mobilisation by the McDonalds workforce and
we want you to participate too! All McDonalds workers
are encouraged to rebel on that day and we are also
encouraging people who do not work for McDonalds to
take action in solidarity- get the message to
McDonalds workers, disrupt McDonalds business...

For more information, please see:

http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction

There is already quite a bit of information on this
site and it is where we will post reports of actions
as we receive them on October 16th.

To make sure this works, please let us know if you're
planning an action, and then send us a report. Please
send e-mails to both:
reports@mwr.org.uk

globaldayofaction@yahoo.co.uk

Or, from the 10th we can be reached by phone on:

((00) 44) 07732 531 196

Workers who are getting up to mischief on the 16th are
reminded that, although taking part need not endanger
your employment, if what you're planning to do could
potentially go wrong and result in dismissal, then
it's worth getting any money you're owed (like holiday
pay) paid through before the 16th.

A leaflet is being designed which will soon be on the
http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction website.
Please feel free to print it out and distribute to
your workmates or workers at your local store. The
idea is to have the international text (produced by
some of our comrades in France) as a common text on
all leaflets, and then a local text, specific to the
situation where you work or live, or to a particular
organisation. So, we have also produced an MWR text,
which follows after the international text at the end
of this e-mail. The international text will be signed
by a few of the organisations supporting the day. If
your organisation supports the mobilisation and would
like to be added to the signatories, please get in
touch as soon as possible.

Okay, I think that is all for now... but please stay
in contact.

Hope to hear from you soon,

In solidarity,

Funnywump

On behalf of McDonalds Workers Resistance

***********************

Only fighting will win !

Today is the date of the first ever co-ordinated
international mobilisation by the McDonalds workforce.
Today is the day that we say 'enough is enough' to
exploitation and low wages. Today is the day that we
throw a spanner in the works of McDonalds profit
machine.

We, the organizations undersigned, have decided during
an international conference that took place in Essen
(Germany) "i2002" and in subsequent discussions, that
this 16th october will be an international day of
struggle for improved working conditions and salaries
in which we invite the participation of all McDonalds
workers.

This is why colleagues, we intervene in your
restaurant- because all over the world the McDonald's
multinational exploits young workers for miserable
wages in harder and harder working conditions.
McDonald's makes every effort to prevent us from
organazing and constituting unions because they know
such organisations allow us to oppose the corporate
dictatorship that benefits only the employers and
treats us with contempt.

But today this strategy is failing: Everywhere we are
organizing- in associations (McDonald?s Workers
Resistance), or in unions (CGT Spain, CNT-France,
IWW-USA, IWW-Australia?). For many years our
organization and struggle has been increasing, today
we find a new unity and internationalism.

NO MORE SHALL WE ENDURE MODERN DAY SLAVERY !

TODAY, 16TH october, WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH !

FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY ! ! !

FOR THE UNITY OF ALL THE McDONALD'S WORKERS ! !

Signatories :

*******************************

October 16th 2002?

October 16th is world anti-McDonalds day, it's also
the date of the first ever co-ordinated international
mobilisation by the McDonald's workforce. This maybe
the first you've heard of the international networks
of McDonalds workers that work together to advance our
interests and to confront the exploitation and greed
of McDonalds... you will hear a lot more over the next
few years.

What's happening?

McDonalds workers in the UK, across continental
Europe, Russia, North America and Canada are working
together to protest against our low wages, poor
working conditions and McDonalds attempts at
preventing us from organising. Some workers will go
on strike or take the day off, others will work, but
very slowly, and some will sabotage their shifts by
giving away free food, stealing from the tills or
damaging equipment. If you want to be part of it, do
something, make sure it's not business as usual, and
let us know about it- by e-mail to both
reports@mwr.org.uk and globaldayofaction@yahoo.co.uk
or by phone to: ((00) 44) 07732 531 196
Let's take our first steps towards freedom together!

Anything else?

If Ocotber 16th is a protest we hope it will also be a
celebration of our new found unity, internationalism
and rebellion. So use the excuse to get together with
your workmates for a few drinks, bongs, cups of
coffee... make friends in kitchen, make trouble on
tills, make love in the stockroom.

Why?

Because we are sick of low wages and dire
conditions... Because we object to McDonalds'
environmental destruction and emotional manipulation
of children... Because working for McDonalds is boring
and pointless... Because we are not so stupid as to
work our asses off just to make someone else rich...
Because the workers united are more powerful than they
can possibly imagine.

What are we achieveing?

We are showing ourselves and the world that we are
capable of organising internationally and that we are
not powerless in the face of multi-national
corporations- that in fact it is us who make their
billions and we are willing and able to fight back.
We are showing ourselves and the world that there is a
young generation of workers, passionate and
rebellious, who refuse to live like past generations-
we will not surrender a piece of our lives to an
idiotic pursuit of wealth on behalf of those who
already have too much.

Ocotber 16th is our day, we are taking it back from
the bosses... be part of it.

mwr.org.uk

*****************************

=====

"If you think you are too small to make a difference try sleeping with a midge"

http://www.mwr.org.uk

MWR, PO Box 3828, Glasgow, G41 1YU"