“Sach mein bandh ho raha hai, kya?” asks a 20-year-old woman working at one of the few McDonald’s outlets still open in Delhi. She hesitates while she tops off a McFlurry’s Small cup with a generous helping of Oreo shavings, then turns to ponder the question. “If it does, I will have to look for another source of income. Currently, I live with my family and this is my only means of livelihood.”
Will she have to look for another job? McDonald’s outlets across the city presently rest in a vortex of uncertainty after the US-based fast food giant terminated its franchise agreement with Connaught Plaza Restaurant Limited (CPRL) on Monday – which means that 169 outlets across north and east India may shut down. This also means that, in case of such an eventuality, more than 10,000 people will lose their jobs.
Also Read: Lovin’ It No Longer, McDonald’s Ends Franchise Agreement With CPRL
How Ready are McDonald’s Employees?
Are McDonald’s employees prepped for the outcome? Several of them across outlets in Laxmi Nagar, Sector 18 Noida, South Extension Part II and Ansal Plaza spoke to The Quint on the condition of anonymity.
A man in his mid-20s, who says he’s been working for 8-9 months at the outlet, seems to almost be expecting the question as we approach him and his colleague. “Hum abhi yehi baat kar rahe the (we were just talking about it),” he smiles, as the duo turn to us. “Rona aa raha hai yeh sochke ki 15 din baad naukri nahi rahegi. (I feel teary-eyed thinking of the possibility that I may not have a job in 15 days).”
Has he started looking for another job? He says he will now, then points out his colleague standing next to him who he says has been working at this outlet for 3 years. The colleague agrees:
I have been working here a long time, which is why it seems difficult to imagine what I’d do next – but then there are those who have been McDonald’s employees for 15 years. Imagine what they would do! We’ll have to think about our next move.
Are such sentiments well-founded, though? Most outlet managers are quick to rebuff the on-ground panic. While several remain tight-lipped, pointing to PR releases, some say they’re sure they’ll come out of this just fine. Says one young manager:
Our head office hasn’t told us anything. This is all media-reported. Till someone communicates something directly to us, we are going to go on, business as usual. We have full faith that the management will listen to us and our voices will be heard.
Several employees also vouch for the fact that the employees who used to work at the 43 outlets that have already been shut down, have been incorporated into the folds of other outlets. (For those not in the know, 43 outlets out of 55 in the national capital, were shut in June due to non-renewal of eating house licenses by local authorities.) Says an employee at McDonald’s, South Ex Part II:
A couple of my friends who used to work in the McDonald’s outlet in South Extension Part I have been given jobs at the (South Ex) Part II outlet. As far as I know, no one has lost their job.
It is a sentiment that is echoed by most employees. While fear about the unknown looms large, everyone The Quint spoke to has confirmed that they haven’t been laid off and have also been receiving their salaries.
“Our manager says it’s all just rumours and we need to wait for the company to reach out to us,” says one 21-year-old employee at a south Delhi outlet, who hails from UP and has been living (and working) in the city for the past three months. “I am happy here. I’m sure they’ll figure something out.”
The controversy began in 2013, when Vikram Bakshi (MD of CPRL) was reinstated after being ousted earlier the same year for alleged misuse of funds. The duo have been locked in a protracted battle for years. In a statement to Economic Times, Bakshi had said that, “McDonald’s action was desperate” and that he was considering appropriate legal remedies.
As of now, however, more than 10,000 employees wait with bated breath to see what their company will do to put their apprehensions to rest.
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