The IWW 'hit the Hut'!

On Saturday 4th February 2012, The Bristol General Branch (GMB) of the IWW showed solidarity with Fellow Workers in Sheffield by handing out leaflets outside 2 central branches of Pizza Hut, and travelling further out to talk to staff at 3 other sites.

The Fellow Workers in Sheffield belong to Industrial Union (IU) branch 460, which covers all Pizza Hut workers in the UK. They are taking action to try and make the management listen to their reasonable demands:

• At the moment Pizza Hut (UK) staff are paid bank holidays as a normal day, i.e. they are not paid any extra for working, even on Christmas Day or Boxing Day! Staff used to get ‘time and a half’ until a few years ago, when the company took it away.

• Delivery staff, using their own cars, are only given 60p PER DELIVERY to cover petrol costs, and the wear-and-tear to their car, even if the delivery is up to 6 miles away! Despite the rocketing price of petrol, this rate hasn’t gone up in several years. The company promised a review, and a new rate, but has not delivered, so IU 460 have been forced to take action. They are demanding a rate similar to the AA’s recommendation for ‘own car use’ of 45p per mile.

The response from the public was very supportive, with many being shocked at the conditions the Pizza Hut staff work under, especially considering how much their pizzas cost! Over 200 leaflets were taken by the public, and many promised to contact Pizza Hut to express their support for IU460.

Staff at all sites were obviously supportive, and glad to see that their case was being highlighted. We hope to now set up a Bristol branch of IU460 and urge any Pizza Hut workers from any site in the West Country to email us IN CONFIDENCE at bristoliww@riseup.net to get involved.

The Bristol FW’s who showed support were in high spirits despite the cold, and were joined in solidarity by members of the Anarchist Federation (AFED) and the Solidarity Federation (SOLFED).

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ORGANISE! DON’T LET YOUR BOSS TELL YOU OTHERWISE!