Cos accused of underpaying Chinese

BEIJING – Fast-food giants McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut have been accused of violating Chinese labour laws by underpaying part-time workers by up to 40 per cent, state media said yesterday.

McDonald’s pays part-timers only four yuan (US$0,52) per hour, KFC 4,7 yuan and Pizza Hut five yuan despite a minimum wage of 7,5 yuan in Guangzhou city in the southern province of Guangdong, the China Daily said. In an undercover investigation by New Express, a local newspaper in Guangzhou, reporters found part-time employees, mostly college students, were also asked to sometimes work more than 10 hours a day.Additional criticism included the employers’ refusal to sign labour contracts or insure part-time workers against workplace injuries, the report said.When asked to comment on the allegations, McDonald’s insisted its practices did not break regulations.McDonald’s and KFC have nearly 3 000 outlets across China and employ up to 200 000 people, according to previous reports.Nampa-AFPIn an undercover investigation by New Express, a local newspaper in Guangzhou, reporters found part-time employees, mostly college students, were also asked to sometimes work more than 10 hours a day.Additional criticism included the employers’ refusal to sign labour contracts or insure part-time workers against workplace injuries, the report said.When asked to comment on the allegations, McDonald’s insisted its practices did not break regulations.McDonald’s and KFC have nearly 3 000 outlets across China and employ up to 200 000 people, according to previous reports.Nampa-AFP