Day 180 - 31 Oct 95 - Page 17
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The way it was put alarmed me, I have to
2 say.
3
4 MR. MORRIS: I am trying to see if there is anything else I need
5 to ask about unions. There is one matter about David McGee
6 -----
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You have to give Mr. Pearson credit, no
9 doubt, for having thought quite carefully, I should think,
10 about every line he put in his statement. I think it
11 unlikely that off the cuff general questions are going to
12 advance Mr. Pattinson's evidence. By all means ask about,
13 you wanted to make the point about, if there was anything
14 you wanted to ask about overtime.
15
16 MR. MORRIS: I wanted to go on to David McGee's statement.
17
18 THE WITNESS: Does that mean -- there was a particular point
19 I was interrupted in wanting to make about the handbook but
20 does that mean -----
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You had better make it now.
23 A. Just in general terms, my Lord, I was going to go on to
24 say that I had the general impression that it is a Handbook
25 geared, as it would inevitably be, towards the young
26 employee, and I noticed on page 24, paragraph A, the basic
27 guidelines and responsibilities begin with the statement:
28 "There will be no objection to crew employees dating one
29 another". That is, first of all, the employee guidelines
30 on that page and it gives one the impression of a handbook
31 very much geared towards the very young, the very
32 inexperienced and, inevitably, would explain its great
33 attention to detail.
34
35 One might well argue that employees faced with this
36 handbook would find it very prescriptive, if I may just try
37 to use a neutral approach to this issue, very, very
38 prescriptive. Thank you.
39
40 MR. MORRIS: You wanted to look at David McGee's statement where
41 it refers to you. I think you can put the Crew Handbook
42 away now. We have finished with that.
43
44 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, Mr. McGee's statement is now in volume
45 3. It is at B3 in volume 3.
46
47 MR. MORRIS: That is on the top shelf, it should be, I think.
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Have I actually been given -----
50
51 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, it has been done this morning, your Lordship.
52
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Very well. Just tell me, section B goes into
55 pale blue 3, does it?
56
57 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, pale blue 3.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am still working on the other one, but if
60 you give the new references I will get up to date.
