英国マクドナルドをハラスメントで提訴　若手労働者７００人超

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英法律事務所リー・デイは７日、米ファストフード大手マクドナルドの英国事業運営会社を相手取り、若手従業員７００人以上が各種のハラスメント（嫌がらせ）を受けたとして集団提訴したことを明らかにした。訴えたのは勤務時に２０歳未満だった現・元従業員で、損害賠償の支払いを求めている。（写真は、米ファストフード大手マクドナルドのロゴ）
　リー・デイは報道発表文で、ハラスメントには４５０超の店舗が関与したとし、被害者は「差別、ホモフォビア（同性愛嫌悪）、人種差別、エイブルイズム（非障害者優先主義）、ハラスメント」に遭ったとしている。
　「マネジャーやクルーメンバーのホモフォビア的な発言に対処しなければならなかった」と語る、１９歳の従業員は「マネジャーは、対処できないなら仕事を辞めるべきだと話した」と振り返っている。性的関係を繰り返し求められたり、勤務中にマネジャーに体を触られたりしたケースも報告されている。
　マクドナルドの英国事業をめぐっては、２０２３年にハラスメント行為の横行が報じられている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/01/08-16:47）

More than 700 young workers are suing McDonald's UK after widespread harassment claims were exposed in the media in 2023, law firm Leigh Day said on Tuesday.
Leigh Day is seeking compensation from the US fast-food giant on behalf of current and former staff who were aged under 20 when working at McDonald's.
Clients have described experiences of discrimination, homophobia, racism, ableism, and harassment, the legal firm said in a press release, saying more than 450 restaurants were involved.
It follows a BBC investigation in July 2023 highlighting the testimonies of those affected.
The fast-food chain is one of Britain's largest employers with around 170,000 staff, many of whom are young workers, including teenagers.
Those allegations described are abhorrent, unacceptable and there is no place for them in McDonald's, Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald's UK and Ireland, told British MPs on Tuesday when questioned about the claims during a hearing over the separate issue of employment rights.
He added that 29 workers have been dismissed over sexual harassment allegations in the past year.
Macrow told a parliamentary committee in November 2023 that he was absolutely determined to root out any of these behaviours and the firm opened a specialist unit to investigate the allegations.
But unions told the same parliamentary committee it had not improved the situation.
The fast-food giant also said it had set up an online system to allow employees at company-owned and franchised restaurants to speak up confidentially.
I've had to deal with homophobic comments from managers and crew members, said a 19-year-old unnamed employee quoted in Leigh Day's statement.
My manager said if I can't deal with it, I should just leave the job, he added.
The law firm said another young worker claimed to have been repeatedly pestered for sex, and another claim involved a manager touching young staff inappropriately during shifts.
McDonald's UK faced harassment claims in 2019 when the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union alleged that more than 1,000 female employees had been victims of sexual harassment and abuse.