2 completely different takes on the same story! The first link is from an EU website while the second one is from the Indo.
[FONT=Arial, Verdana, Arial]'McPassport' plan slammed by EU [link — fixed by DrMoriarty —requires free registration][/FONT]
Wednesday September 13th 2006
MCDONALD'S, the fast-food chain, yesterday unveiled a plan to provide staff with a 'McPassport' certificate, to make it easier for them to seek work in their restaurants across the EU.
The idea was challenged by politicians in Brussels as a tactlessly named ploy for expanding the pool of cheap labour from the east, available to McDonald's managers across the continent.
Stephen Hughes, a British Labour member of the European Parliament, and employment spokesman for the Socialist group, said: "I'm keen on promoting worker mobility across Europe, but not in any way that you're exploiting young people, or people from the newer member states.
"It is provocative to call it a McPassport. A McJob is a low-paid, low-status job.
"If this is an extension of those McJob principles, that is not good."But Louise Marcotte, a spokesman for McDonald's Europe, said they had not planned the passports with lower-paid workers from the east in mind.
"We're just trying to give our crew members the chance to see and discover Europe," she said.
Crediting the average British schoolleaver with formidable language skills, she went on: "I wouldn't be surprised if some young British people use this to work in Spain, or Italy, or France. The McPassport makes it simpler for people to take a two-month summer break in another country."(© Daily Telegraph, London)
David Rennie
[FONT=Arial, Verdana, Arial]'McPassport' plan slammed by EU [link — fixed by DrMoriarty —requires free registration][/FONT]
Wednesday September 13th 2006
MCDONALD'S, the fast-food chain, yesterday unveiled a plan to provide staff with a 'McPassport' certificate, to make it easier for them to seek work in their restaurants across the EU.
The idea was challenged by politicians in Brussels as a tactlessly named ploy for expanding the pool of cheap labour from the east, available to McDonald's managers across the continent.
Stephen Hughes, a British Labour member of the European Parliament, and employment spokesman for the Socialist group, said: "I'm keen on promoting worker mobility across Europe, but not in any way that you're exploiting young people, or people from the newer member states.
"It is provocative to call it a McPassport. A McJob is a low-paid, low-status job.
"If this is an extension of those McJob principles, that is not good."But Louise Marcotte, a spokesman for McDonald's Europe, said they had not planned the passports with lower-paid workers from the east in mind.
"We're just trying to give our crew members the chance to see and discover Europe," she said.
Crediting the average British schoolleaver with formidable language skills, she went on: "I wouldn't be surprised if some young British people use this to work in Spain, or Italy, or France. The McPassport makes it simpler for people to take a two-month summer break in another country."(© Daily Telegraph, London)
David Rennie