Day 303 - 19 Nov 96 - Page 24
1 full notes, but basically-----
2
3 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You must have it in mind in order to have
4 said it.
5
6 MR. MORRIS: Basically, Mr. Stein is the McDonald's union
7 buster; that is clear to me from the effect of his whole
8 evidence on this issue, these union issues. You know, he
9 is a very busy man at a very high up position and there is
10 no reason he would spend 80 per cent of a whole year unless
11 it was, you know, central to his whole purpose in life,
12 which is to prevent unionisation in McDonald's stores. So,
13 that is what we would say is the only possible inference
14 from the evidence that was given on that issue.
15
16 Buried in the testimony will be, you know, indications
17 further indications, about that.
18
19 There we go. Then Ireland 1979, we have heard in detail
20 about a seven month strike which led to recognition of the
21 union, but all the key players were got rid of or elbowed
22 out one way or the another at the end of the strike, the
23 ones that had survived the seven month strike, but
24 established a principle which is very important. However,
25 in 1985 two union activists in Dublin were dismissed and
26 won a victory at the Labour Court after claiming
27 victimisation and unfair dismissal for trade union
28 activity, and we have a Civil Evidence Act notice on one of
29 them and evidence from the other.
30
31 While we are on the subject of Ireland, Michael Mehigan,
32 the owner of McDonald's stores in the Republic of Ireland
33 since 1978, was questioned about the 1979 strike. He said
34 that the Company had refused to recognise the union because
35 "we did not want to lose control of our business". That
36 really sums up McDonald's attitude to their workforce,
37 which is one of control, and if the workers have any kind
38 of collective organisation or representation or independent
39 advice then they cannot be manipulated and controlled in
40 the same way.
41
42 After the strike the Company clearly avoided meeting with
43 the union, which was against the settlement terms of the
44 strike, refused to give certain jobs back to prominent
45 union activists, and, as we have heard, a couple of them
46 went to tribunals as a result of discrimination and were
47 successful at tribunals.
48
49 Anne Casey and Sean Mrozek from the strike came over to
50 tell about how discontent over low pay and poor conditions
51 had been the background to the unionisation attempt. That
52 is Ireland.
53
54 In Denmark between 1980 and 1990 there was a long effort by
55 trade unions to negotiate with McDonald's, a collective
56 agreement, and after protracted legal disputes and boycotts
57 McDonald's recognised the union in 1989.
58
59 In Germany, we have heard about the letter in 1979 sent out
60 from the personnel department with instructions to store
