Day 187 - 13 Nov 95 - Page 17
1 Q. Going back to the statement: "In October 1992 CFDT
2 designated me as the representative/steward. Some time
3 after this, the McDonald's Lyon region franchiser,
4 Michel Antolinos, phoned me and told me to attend a meeting
5 the next morning at 8 o'clock at his office" -- which was
6 at -----
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do not bother with the address.
9
10 MR. MORRIS: OK. "I was accompanied at the meeting by an
11 employee from the Society Vilpaix to help me. The subject
12 of the meeting was my designation as union rep.
13 Mr. Antolinos asked me why I wanted to be a union rep, and
14 I responded that I wished to allow the employees to be
15 represented and have their voices heard. At this point, he
16 proposed that I consider the possibility of material
17 rewards for renouncing my trade union involvement. He
18 proposed that I get moved to another establishment or be
19 sacked with a generous financial reward."
20
21 Can you ask him what he means by "be sacked with a generous
22 financial reward"?
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. Read the rest of the paragraph.
25
26 MR. MORRIS: OK. "The payment of 855 hours overtime previously
27 unpaid and an increase in the employees salaries to the
28 minimum laid down by the convention, reimbursement of my
29 taxi fares, payment of the remainder of my car at 60,000
30 francs, and a generous golden handshake upon an amicable
31 settlement, and assistance in finding a job outside of
32 McDonald's." I think that is quite clear, really.
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That was why I suggested you read on.
35
36 MR. RAMPTON: Can I intervene at that stage to say that there is
37 no transcription, in the sense that in the French the words
38 after "financial reward" are all in brackets until one gets
39 down to the words "amicable settlement".
40
41 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just let me have a look.
42
43 MR. MORRIS: Yes.
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What it reads is "be sacked with a generous
46 financial reward"; then that is elaborated on in brackets,
47 and it continues "and assistance in finding another job".
48 Thank you very much. I do not think that needs
49 elaboration.
50
51 MR. MORRIS: That is fine. Can we just say that if it is
52 60,000 francs, I believe -- can someone let us know how
53 many francs to the pound, approximately?
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is about 7.30 or 7.40 at the moment, but
56 it has been sinking steadily, much to my personal regret,
57 for some time.
58
59 MR. MORRIS: It is about 7.5 francs to the pound?
60
