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Alden Williams / Things
KFC staff near Christchurch airport have been told to stay until their shift ends at 1 a.m., despite finishing all their work before 11:30 p.m., if they want to be paid for the shift full.
KFC staff have been told to remain idle while their shift time is running out if they want to be paid their minimum contracted hours, despite the company assuring the union that this would not happen.
In a Christchurch store, staff sat in separate stalls for an hour and a half after finishing their jobs at 11.30 p.m. KFC’s parent company has received more than $ 21.8 million in government coronavirus salary subsidy for 3,651 employees.
The Unite workers union says it is not happening in all restaurants, but has received dozens of reports of this in various regions of the country.
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John Nicholson / Things
Unite national secretary Gerard Hehir says Restaurant Brands had ensured that union staff would be paid for the minimum hours on their contract, even if they left early after finishing all the work that needed to be done.
National Secretary Gerard Hehir said he thought it was related to a previous request from KFC’s parent company Restaurant Brands for staff to reduce the minimum hours on their contracts.
He said the company had given him assurances that employees would not have to stay when there was no work to do to get their minimum hours paid.
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Hehir said KFC “urgently” needed to clarify its position with store managers as it was inconsistent.
RNZ
Vulnerable fast food workers are talking about feeling insecure, but are afraid to challenge Covid-19 rule violations in their restaurants.
He had been in contact with KFC on the matter on Monday.
Hehir said it was not the staff’s fault that the stores closed earlier and that they had to be paid until the end of their fixed shifts.
On Friday, the store manager told KFC staff members near Christchurch Airport that they would have to stay until the scheduled end time of 1 a.m. from an employee said. They could leave earlier, but they would not be paid for the remaining time.
The store normally closes at midnight, but has been closing at 10 p.m., while the Covid-19 Alert Level 3 restrictions were in effect.
Alden Williams / Things
Queues for KFC in Eastgate, Christchurch, when New Zealand entered Alert Level 3 on April 28.
The woman, who did not want to be named to protect her relative’s job, said she did not know how KFC could justify its staff “sitting in the booths turning their thumbs” for 90 minutes while the company was paid the wage subsidy .
By the time essential work ends, staff should go home, the family member said.
They felt that KFC had been excellent during level 4 and clear in communicating the details of return to work, including conducting an on-site training session on coronavirus procedures.
KFC was contacted for comment through the public relations agency it uses to represent itself, but declined to comment.
Restaurant Brands also owns Pizza Hut and Carl’s Jr in New Zealand.
Fast food staff said they felt insecure at work as they struggled to maintain social distance while dealing with a steady stream of customers during level 3.
