2010-06-02 15:15

SHENYANG: US fast food chain KFC has failed to respond to a Chinese trade union's demand for increasing its employees' salaries, the union's chief said here Wednesday.

A lawyer representing the tertiary workers' union in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning province, two months ago sent the letter to Shenyang branch of Yum! Brands Inc China Division, which owns KFC outlets in Shenyang, demanding a timely increase in workers' wages.

"We urged the company to clarify clauses regarding workers' pay rises in the draft version of the collective labor contract," said Feng Hui, head of the Shenyang municipal trade union for service industries.

"But we haven't received positive response from the company yet," Feng said.

Feng said the union asked KFC to define workers' minimum salary in the contract.

The company is obliged to negotiate with the union on the draft contract in ten days upon receiving the lawyer's letter, the union director said.

Li Zhongmin, a public relations manager with Yum! Brands Inc in Shenyang, explained that they needed to report the matter regarding contract changes to the company's China headquarters, which has caused a delay in responding to the letter.

"KFC is cautious in making changes to labor contracts. But once the contract is signed, we will fulfill our obligations," Li said.