A McDonald’s franchisee in Murray Bridge, South Australia, has paid a fine of $275,000 after admitting to unlawfully discouraging staff from joining their union over a five-year period.
The landmark case brought by the union that represents fast-food workers, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA), is believed to be a world-first where a McDonald’s franchise has admitted to engaging in an unlawful campaign to deunionise its workforce.
Unlawful tactics used by management
The franchisee employed several tactics in an attempt to discourage employees from unionising, including persuading employees not to join the SDA, instructing managers to dissuade staff from joining and threatening reduced hours.
