Trouble at t'mill in KFC

The headline reports Double Down trouble for KFC staff - check this out, from the Herald:

Some KFC staff say the Double Down "bunless burger" is not that amazing and is not worth the pressure they have been put under to meet customer demand.

The limited edition burger, which sold 16,000 in its first three hours, increased staff members' workload 10-fold, a KFC cook said.

Unite Union Wellington organiser Heleyni Pratley said she had received numerous complaints about workloads from KFC staff members around the country.

"They're working under terrible conditions, because the pressure to meet demand is extreme," she said.

"This problem with the Double Down and KFC staff is happening across the country."

And Ian Anderson, who works at Kent Terrace KFC in Wellington, said workers had given up their breaks and days off to cope with the demand.

"People are working substantially more so the company can make a profit," he said.

Now that all sounds very interesting; KFC staff are complaining, because the comapny is doing well. And if we go right to the bottom of the article, we see the true motivation:

Mr Anderson, 22, said the amount of pressure that had been put on KFC staff because of the burger was not worth it.

"Everyone's just irritated. People are just tired of it and want it to end," he said.

"It's not even that amazing. Basically the burger's not worth the lines of customers."

He said the chocolate bars KFC had given its staff were not adequate compensation for their working conditions.

The Unite union member and member of the Socialist Workers Party, said at the start of the promotion he was often the only cook at his store.

"We're overworked and underpaid. It's not worth it."

Aha; so this is NOT a news story. This is yet another of Matt McCarten's publicity stunts for Unite, carefully packaged in a Double Down wrapper.

You'd think that the KFC staff might be enjoying the fact that they are busy, and that the company is doing well. After all, if the company fails, what happens to their jobs? McCarten and his ilk don't see it that way of course; the fat-cat bastard capitalist business owners are getting richer.

This, of course, is the same Matt McCarten who is planning a campaign during the Rugby World Cup for the minimum wage to be increased to $15.00 per hour, which would send many small businesses to the wall. And it's the same Matt McCarten who's advising Hone Harawira on the establishment of the left-wing Mana Party. There is a strong political agenda at play here.

In the meantime, we are yet to try the Double Down. We might wait until next week though; we'll let the queues at the local KFC die down a little.