Food workers in California may get minimum wage of $20 per hour. Photo: iStock (representational)
Fast food workers have long been neglected by labour laws: they are made to work long hours with meagre salaries. It comes as no surprise that labour turnover is quite high in the fast food industry, who regularly have to hire and train new staff to keep the business running. Now, a new bill introduced in the state of California (USA) that aims to provide a minimum wage assurance to all the workers in the fast food and healthcare industries. As per the bill, the workers will be paid a minimum wage of at least $20 (approximately Rs 1,660) per hour from the year 2024.
Assembly Bill 1228 will cover 500,000 fast-food workers in California and 455,000 workers in the healthcare industry. All restaurants in the state with at least 60 locations or more nationwide will have to increase the minimum wage for their workers up to $20 per hour, as per USA Today. Meanwhile, employees at healthcare facilities will be paid $23 per hour. Labour unions and industries are already in support of the bill, which will pass through the State legislature and then be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to come into action in 2024.
Also Read: Fast Food Vs. Junk Food: What's The Difference?
The fast food industry has long been plagued with high staff turnover.
"For the last decade, fast-food cooks, cashiers and baristas in California have been sounding the alarm on the poverty pay and unsafe working conditions plaguing our industry," Ingrid Vilorio, a fast-food worker and member of the SEIU, said in a statement as per CBS News. "We have always known that to solve these problems, we need a seat at the table with our employers and the power to help shape better rules across our industry."
What did you think about this new minimum wage policy for food workers in California? Do you think a similar policy needs to be implemented in India too? Tell us if you think India will follow suit in the comments below.