KFC protest as worker ‘told not to speak Welsh with customers’
LANGUAGE campaigners picketed a fast food restaurant after a worker claimed she was told not to talk to customers in Welsh.
Student Ceri Hughes, from Felinheli, started work at KFC in Bangor High Street at the end of June and was trained to use the till and how to handle customer orders.
The Bangor University history student said: “The supervisor told me I had to take every order in English and to speak in English with customers.
“I carried on speaking Welsh with customers who spoke Welsh to me and the same supervisor reminded me to speak English with customers.
“It is not acceptable I should be told to speak English only with customers.”
The 27-year-old subsequently quit the part-time job and is now looking for more work over the summer before resuming her university studies.
Ms Hughes (pictured) said she was considering making a complaint about the multi-national company to the
Welsh Language Commissioner.
On Saturday morning about 25 members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg and their supporters picketed the shop in the High Street.
They held placards which read “Cymraeg – Ein Hawl” (Welsh – our Right) and “Dim Cymraeg Yma” (No Welsh here). Some spoke with people entering or leaving the shop and handed out leaflets.
KFC says it wants staff and customers to speak whatever language they feel comfortable with.
A KFC spokesman said: “At KFC, we all speak the same language – that of our love for Original Recipe chicken.
“We always want our team members to speak the language they and our guests feel comfortable with.”
Cymdeithas yr Iaith spokeswoman Tamsin Davies said it was “a very serious allegation”.
She added: “If true, it’s completely unacceptable. KFC should apologise immediately and adopt a clear policy that staff and customers have an unconditional right to communicate in Welsh.
“The Welsh Language Measure 2011 makes it illegal for people or organisations to interfere with the freedom of people in Wales to use the Welsh language.
“We have contacted the Welsh Language Commissioner’s office asking him to open an inquiry into these allegations.
“On the ground, over recent months, we have seen a concerning rise in allegations of employers banning the use of the language. It’s important people complain to the Welsh Language Commissioner directly about any such incidents.
“We have also encouraged the Commissioner and others to do far more to raise awareness of the law and to tackle the prejudice against minorities and the Welsh language which lies behind these terrible incidents and policies.”
A spokesman for Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts said they had been contacted about the matter.
“We will now consider the evidence to determine whether a worker was told not to speak Welsh and to which extent this interfered with people’s freedom to use Welsh with each other in Wales.”