- McLibel -

Lets Put Mcdonalds Out of Business? Perhaps, but let's have freedom of criticism!

Posted by: Siamak ( UK ) on June 20, 1997 at 12:16:40:

In Reply to: Lets Put Mcdonalds Out of Business? posted by Marty Luning on June 20, 1997 at 11:07:22:

: Everyone winges about what they get paid, if it wasn't Mcdonalds it would be some other company. Most western companies have an award wage rule. I am sure Mcdonalds complies fully with all relevant industrial rules.

You are wrong Marty, McDonald's does not fully comply with employment laws. For example, it transpired during the McLibel case that they disregard laws relating to overtime pay. As a result the judge ruled that I was ILLIGALLY UNDERPAID while I worked for them. This, I am sure, happened to the rest of the crew too. Again as the judge has ruled, McD pays low wages anyway. But even this is not enough for them and they have to find other devious means to depress the wages of the crew even further - how mean can you get!

: I find it hard to understand why person/s with nothing better to do with their time, have to prove a point to the extreme and in the end have nothing to show for it.

Nothing to show for it? I can't believe this. Haven't you heard that the judge ruled against McD on 3 major issues. He found it true that McD exploits the children's susceptiblity to suggestions and advertisment thereby taking advantage of them, found cruel to animals and found it true that they deliberately pay low wages to their staff. The points that McD won were lost on technicalities eg. the definition of rain forest. Not that forests were not destroyed by McD operation but whether you can call these rainforest.

:Pity. Wouldn't be more productive for these person/s to concentrate on the "real" issues that affect our world? What about overpopulation, green house gases/destruction of the Ozone layer (lets blame Mcdonalds for that as well)

Yes, blame McD as one of the major contributors to this process along with many others.

:the extinction of various species of animals (Mcdonalds at fault again)

Yes because their operation adversly affects the environment.

:Lets ALL get our fingers out of our rear behinds and work together, lets work "together" for the benefit of everyone.

Then I am surprised why you are criticising Dave & Helen and their supporters because this is exactly what we all say and the defendants have shown in practice "working together" can be effective even against against multi-billion $ corporations who try to mobilise their massive power against anyone who dare to criticise them.

:Wouldn't the 20 million dollars spent on witnesses and legal costs be better spent on the starving and hungry people in this world?

Put this question to McD. After all they are the onse who brought the case and wasted the money. But they are I promise you they are not interested in starving people, only in those onse who can buy their products and make them profit.



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