Day 118 - 01 May 95 - Page 37
1 Q. But over the time that you were Head of Personnel ---
2 A. Yes, I think -----
3
4 Q. -- staff were not allowed to bring in food themselves, were
5 they?
6 A. I think it varied from store to store, actually.
7 I think some managers relaxed the rule. Generally, we
8 would prefer them to eat our product. It was given free.
9
10 Q. Yes, you say "generally", but generally staff were not
11 allowed to bring in food from outside; they had to eat the
12 food -- is that your understanding?
13 A. I believe the situation was that we preferred them to
14 have our food and we provided it free. I have heard of
15 managers who have allowed -- I mean, if someone had special
16 needs, yes, you would do that. But, generally, we have
17 encouraged them ---
18
19 Q. Generally, they had to eat McDonald's food?
20 A. -- to eat McDonald's food, yes.
21
22 MS. STEEL: If they were working five days a week, you would
23 expect them to eat McDonald's food five days a week?
24 A. I did when I did my month's in-store training.
25
26 Q. You did? That would be the normal thing?
27 A. Yes.
28
29 MR. MORRIS: I am sorry to keep jumping up. How is the
30 provision of free food a benefit? Never mind the food
31 quality and all that kind of stuff, quantity or anything
32 like that, how is the provision of free food an additional
33 benefit to the basic rates of pay?
34 A. I can only draw you a parallel; when I was in the
35 Police Service I paid for my meals and that is expensive.
36
37 Q. So it is a benefit because otherwise the workers would have
38 to pay ---
39 A. Yes.
40
41 Q. -- additional ---
42 A. Yes.
43
44 Q. -- costs? Are you aware that it was actually -- I am not
45 sure if it still is -- a condition of paying the minimum
46 pay under the Wage Council ruling, regulations, that on
47 condition of being able to pay the absolute minimum wage
48 McDonald's were paying that they had to provide free meals?
49 A. I cannot remember. That -- you are looking at the old
50 order there; that finished in 1986.
51
52 Q. If you turn to, I believe it is ----
53 A. I will accept it -- if you are reading it, I will
54 accept it.
55
56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, we may just as well find it if it is
57 there now.
58
59 THE WITNESS: Can you direct me, please?
60
