Day 117 - 27 Apr 95 - Page 21
1
2 Q. Then it says: "The Wages Council has recommended increases
3 in minimum rates of pay for all hourly paid employees with
4 effect from 11th June 1990. Accordingly, the Company has
5 increased the rates of pay for all hourly paid workers to
6 the level shown on the attached chart to come into effect
7 by Sunday, 3rd June or Sunday, 1990, dependent upon the pay
8 week of the store. You will note that the crew rate is for
9 all age groups in Inner and Outer London".
10
11 Then this: "It is recognised that certain areas outside
12 Inner and Outer London have recruiting difficulties similar
13 to those experienced in Inner and Outer London. These key
14 areas may apply to Regional Managers to adopt the rates
15 paid in Outer or Inner London as appropriate. After
16 consultation with the Chief Operations Officer, Regional
17 Managers may authorise the adoption of the appropriate
18 rate. It must be noted that no pay scale other than the
19 three shown in the chart issued be used". That reflects
20 what you were telling us earlier, as I understood it?
21 A. Yes.
22
23 Q. My question is this, was this the first time that
24 consideration had been given to the recruiting difficulties
25 of some of the big provincial centres?
26 A. Yes.
27
28 Q. Then on the next page, 682, we see the rates set out in
29 tabular form ---
30 A. Yes.
31
32 Q. -- for that year. I am not going to go any further
33 forwards in time, Mr. Nicholson. Anybody can read; the
34 scheme is now clear. My final question on this aspect of
35 the case is this: You were in the Police an awful long
36 time, 40 years or something, was it?
37 A. 31!
38
39 Q. You have been, in one capacity or another, in the catering
40 industry for the last 12 years?
41 A. 12 years -- my 13th year.
42
43 Q. Do you have any sense for the work that they do, whether
44 they be 18 plus or 16 or 17 years of age, and the hours
45 they work, your crew members are being under paid?
46 A. No, they are not being under paid. They are being paid
47 a wage commensurate with the high street, the industry, and
48 the total package, I believe, puts them way at the top of
49 that kind of league.
50
51 Q. I am not asking you for details. Do you know whether your
52 competitors provide the same kind of opportunities for
53 obtaining awards, increases and so on that you do?
54 A. I think our competitors do not; some other institutions
55 on the high street may have good comparable, but the
56 competitors in the industry are not anything like as
57 generous with their conditions of service as we are.
58
59 Q. Thank you. Close the file, I think, probably for the
60 moment because it is more convenient. You will need it
