Day 207 - 23 Jan 96 - Page 38


     
     1        it more frequently than that.
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:  It is just because they both appeared on the screen,
     4        and I was not sure.
     5
     6        (To the witness)  Are you saying that understaffing only
     7        occurred when people were sick or did not show for some
     8        particular reason?
     9        A.  Yes.
    10
    11   Q.   Understaffing of course means that the crew have to work
    12        more to get all the work done; individual crew have to work
    13        harder to get the work done if the place is understaffed?
    14        A.  If there were not sufficient staff, yes.
    15
    16   Q.   The pressure would be increased on them?
    17        A.  The staff would have to work harder and,
    18        correspondingly, I presume, they would feel, yes, perhaps
    19        pressure.
    20
    21   Q.   I mean, do you think the crew feel particularly pressured
    22        normally, at a time when you do not consider it to be
    23        understaffed?
    24        A.  No.
    25
    26   Q.   You do not think they are under pressure then?
    27        A.  No.
    28
    29   Q.   So if the crew felt tht they were under pressure, that
    30        might be an indication, or that would be an indication that
    31        they are understaffed?
    32        A.  (Pause)  Sorry, could you just repeat that question?
    33
    34   Q.   If the crew felt they were under pressure, that would be an
    35        indication that they were understaffed?
    36        A.  It could be.
    37
    38   Q.   If people were having to take their breaks early, that
    39        would be an indication that there were not sufficient
    40        numbers of staff to cover for them to have their breaks
    41        during proper times?
    42
    43   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I would like to know what "proper times"
    44        is supposed to mean.  Over the adjournment, I have
    45        confirmed the impression that I had of the law as to this.
    46        It is as I thought it was, that if you are in the catering
    47        industry, when serving refreshments -- as one would
    48        naturally expect -- people are not supposed to have breaks
    49        during the lunch hour between 11.30 and 2.30.  So I do not
    50        know what "proper times" means. 
    51 
    52   MS. STEEL:   Perhaps Mr. Rampton can explain the McDonald's 
    53        document that we looked at this morning, where it said that
    54        people said people were supposed to have their breaks
    55        between 11.30 and 2.30?
    56
    57   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Why not leave that on one side for a moment
    58        and deal with something like being given breaks early in
    59        the shift rather than more or less in the middle of the
    60        shift -- because, whatever the law may be, there might be

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