Trump chooses fast food executive Andrew Puzder as head of Department of Labor

United States president-elect Donald Trump has made another controversial choice for his administration, after he picked CKE Restaurants chief executive Andrew Puzder to lead the Department of Labor.

Fast food Puzder has consistently argued against raising the minimum working age in the US, believing it to stunt job growth. He has also been accused in the past of perpetrating domestic violence, which may add weight to the case against his nomination.

CKE operates such restaurants as Carl's Jr and Hardee's, and Trump said Puzder has shown a record of fighting for workers, making him an ideal candidate to lead the department.

"Andy will fight to make American workers safer and more prosperous by enforcing fair occupational safety standards and ensuring workers receive the benefits they deserve, and he will save small businesses from the crushing burdens of unnecessary regulations that are stunting job growth and suppressing wages," Trump said in a statement.

However, several officials have criticised the choice and said that it signals a bad move for the lower class of workers.

Outspoken Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren was one of the most vociferous critics of Puzder, alleging that he "got rich squeezing front-line workers on wages, overtime & benefits."

"Appointing Andrew Puzder to run the agency responsible for protecting workers is a slap in the face for every hard-working American family," she tweeted.

The US Department of Labor is the body charged with regulating wages and ensuring safety in workplaces. Workers' unions have also been critical of Puzder's appointment.

AFL-CIO union president Richard Trumka said that Puzder's "business record is defined by fighting against working people."