The dispute between Unite Union and McDonalds this time around has become a much nastier affair than previous industry protests. Beyond the push and shove of offer and counter-offer at the negotiating table, the current issues have been exacerbated by a very heavy handed Police presence.
The Auckland Police have had an odd response to protesters in the city of late. The Auckland University assaults last year where Police arrested almost 50 students and the punches meted out at the TPPA protest have seen the Police attempt to escalate rather than just keep law and order.
The over the top response the Auckland police have given the Unite protests has to be seen to be believed.
Here is a photo from last week…
…note that most serious assaults wouldn’t see this many cops. This is what corporate money buys you in protection and it shows a certain vested interest.
The fast food companies, in particular, McDonalds all offer Police 50% discounts. They don’t do it for emergency services because the fast food outlets don’t care about emergency services. By having the Police frequent their 24 hour establishments, McDonald’s gets a proxy security presence.
This relationship can be targeted when looking for explanations of the rough treatment the Police have handed out to Union members and supporters during this dispute.
The abuse the Police are handing out looks less like the protection of business and more like a ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ relationship.
Unite have even had to go so far as write the Police a letter asking them to tone their attitude down. The NZ Police have traditionally sided against the workers in any dispute, we all accept they are there for the companies when it comes to industrial disputes, but to suspect the Police are applying extra force because they have a vested relationship with McDonalds is queasy.
Do you want lies with that?
You’ll be served lies whether you want them or not, it is the police you are talking about.
I’ve been goin to these pickets in support of the mc Donald’s workers, in my own capacity as a militant worker. I’ve got to say in all the years I’ve been supporting strikes this is some of the brutalist policing I’ve seen. Some strikers have even been injured one had a bone broken.
The police presence was so heavy that most of the time they outnumbered nearly twice over the young and teenage strikers, these ain’t hardened industrial workes, though they have spirit in spades.
The great irony is when these workers were being sexually abused, denied breaks and pay, bullied and assaulted the police were no where to be seen as it was a employment issue. Now the shoe is on the other foot it’s battle stations.
Wires have been sent, fire up the printing presses fed, McDonald employees are endangering the global economic recovery!
Come Fishing today at 230pm !
https://www.facebook.com/events/155729964606518/?ref=22
I doubt if this comes down to individual cops getting discounted Big Macs. It’s more likely that the Commissioner has had a quiet word from the Minister hinting that brutal treatment of workers would not be looked on unfavourably. Anything less than tasers, pepper spray, and PR41s is restrained in their eyes anyway, so it doesn’t take much to get them excited.
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