McDonald's slapped with sexual harassment lawsuit at OECD

An international group of labor unions said Monday it has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's for "systemic sexual harassment" at the fast food chain's restaurants all over the world.

The suit, filed at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)'s offices in holland, was the to begin its kind to focus on a multinational company, the plaintiffs said.

"McDonald's workers have sounded the alarm about sexual harassment and gender-based violence for a long time, but a company with a culture rotten from the most notable has didn't take meaningful action to address the problem," said Sue Longley, general secretary of the International Union of Foodworkers, in a statement.

"Because McDonald's has neglected to do something to make a safe workplace, the Dutch government should utilize this complaint to empower personnel to effectively address the rampant harassment they face beneath the Golden Arches," she said.

The lawsuit also targets two investment banks, APG Asset Management of holland and Norges Bank of Norway, which together have holdings worth $1.7 billion in the meals giant.

The plaintiffs noted that the OECD's own guidelines "require homework by institutional shareholders in companies to make sure responsible business conduct."

The unions said the suit was the "first-ever complaint brought to the OECD to take aim at systematic sexual harassment at a multinational company."

The legal action cites witness testimony of "attempted rape, indecent exposure, groping, and sexual offers." It said the victims, some as young as 16, "said they were ignored, mocked, or punished when they reported it. Some had their hours scale back and others were fired."

In addition, it cited cases of "groping, touching, forced kissing and other kinds of undesired bodily contact" in branches of the meals chain in numerous countries including the USA, the uk, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, and others.

In France, it cited a case when a McDonald's manager allegedly "installed a cellphone camera in the women's changing room, and secretly filmed young women changing their clothes."

"Gender-based violence and harassment is part of McDonald’s culture," the complaint alleged.

The suit will be examined by the Dutch government, which includes up to 90 days to choose whether to launch an activity of mediation with the business.

The unions, which include the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions and the Service Employees International Union of the United States and Canada, said they brought the case in holland because in the usa, where in fact the company is headquartered, McDonald's "insists it does not have any responsibility for employment conditions, employment relations, or workplace abuses in the more than 90 percent of its stores operated by franchisees."

The unions chose the Netherlands because it is the "nerve center" of the junk food giant's European operations, plus the headquarters of APG bank.