Bakers Delight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bakers Delight is a large bakery franchise chain with outlets in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. It was established in 1980 as a single bakery on Glenferrie Road in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, Victoria. An Australian-owned company, Bakers Delight has over 700 bakeries employing more than 15,000 people and serving 2.5 million regular customers per week.[1]
Bakers Delight has been a major corporate partner of the Breast Cancer Network Australia since 2000, raising almost A$2 million during that time. Bakers Delight also donates over $53 million in bread to charities each year. In 2004 an independent corporate citizenship study named Bakers Delight a leading corporate citizen.[2]
[edit] Recent events
Bakers Delight has 35 outlets in New Zealand and 42 in Canada trading under the COBS Bread brand, and entered the US market in 2007 with the opening of a bakery in Seattle. Global sales turnover for Bakers Delight/COBS Bread is expected to exceed $500m for the 2006/2007 financial year.
On 26 March 2007 in Australian Federal Parliament, New South Wales MP Joanna Gash alleged fraud, collusion, physical and financial intimidation and threats by Bakers Delight in relation to its treatment of a NSW franchisee, who Ms Gash said was the victim of an "orchestrated robbery". [3] Bakers Delight strenuously denied the allegations. In May 2007 four former Perth franchisees called for an investigation into the manner in which Bakers Delight treated franchisees.[4].
On 19 July 2007 a Bakers Delight franchise in the Sydney suburb of Kareela drew media attention after it was alleged the store owner forced workers to sign an agreement stating that if they were "going away, having a family gathering, sick or whatever" they were obliged to find a replacement to fill their shift. The agreement further stated "if the shift is not filled, you will loose (sic) your job". The agreement discouraged workers' parents from contacting the franchisee and if workers felt they could not agree to the new conditions, they were allegedly asked to leave. [5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bakers Delight Company Profile.
- ^ Good corporate citizens win public approval. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
- ^ Australian Parliament Hansard 26 March 2007.
- ^ "Former bakers seek inquiry", Sunday Times, Perth, 2007-05-14. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
- ^ "Bakers Delight to apologise on sick-leave sackings", AAP, 2007-07-19.
