Day 152 - 11 Jul 95 - Page 53


     
     1        who might decide that he wants to run and slide in which
     2        case the Managers would discourage that strongly as a
     3        dangerous practice.
     4
     5   Q.   How much room is there in a restaurant, whether in the
     6        kitchen or in the bit behind the till, the front area, to
     7        run and slide?
     8        A.  Very little room.  In the kitchen it would be virtually
     9        impossible.  On the front counter you could possibly manage
    10        it but it would be a dangerous exercise.
    11
    12   Q.   Another thing, Mr. Davis -- I apologise for being slightly
    13        more disorganised than I normally am -- what about breaks,
    14        crew breaks in shifts?  We looked at some examples that you
    15        attributed to your mythical Karen Bloggs earlier today.
    16        Were they regularly given when you were at Colchester?
    17        A.  Yes.
    18
    19   Q.   Were they always given at the same point in the shift?
    20        A.  No.
    21
    22   Q.   Were they sometimes abbreviated?
    23        A.  Very rarely.
    24
    25   Q.   What would bring about a decision to shorten the breaks?
    26        A.  If (and this would be a very rare occasion), for
    27        instance, there was an exceptionally large amount of
    28        business that we had not foreseen came through the front
    29        door, then I would possibly go up to the crew room and
    30        say:  "Is there any chance of anybody coming down five or
    31        10 minutes early off their break?"  Usually, they would
    32        agree to that and then we would let them have the five or
    33        10 minutes at a later date or, sorry, at a later time
    34        during the day.
    35
    36   Q.   So they would be compensated for the loss later on in the
    37        same day?
    38        A.  Certainly, yes.
    39
    40   Q.   When you had a busy time would you stagger the breaks?
    41        A.  Certainly, yes.
    42
    43   Q.   Would the crew always get a break when they wanted it or
    44        would they sometimes have to take it at a time which was in
    45        your discretion?
    46        A.  Usually, what we did was either the Manager of the
    47        shift organised the breaks or we would nominate one person
    48        to do the front breaks and another person to do the back
    49        breaks, and they would co-ordinate them through the day so
    50        that it was staggered.  If anybody had a special request or 
    51        wanted a break early, then we would usually, you know, if 
    52        it was possible, then they would concur with that. 
    53
    54   Q.   In those days were breaks paid or not?
    55        A.  Yes, I believe they were.
    56
    57   Q.   Then, Mr. Davis, labour costs; an allegation -- I do hope
    58        that I have it right this time -- which is made in this
    59        case is that the Company itself exerts pressure on its
    60        Managers to keep their labour costs to a fixed figure.

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