Day 121 - 04 May 95 - Page 12


     
     1        come across unions being discussed are the three that I
     2        have mentioned.
     3
     4   Q.   Right.
     5        A.  They were very minor affairs, which I treated as
     6        important, I wanted to get our company policy across, but I
     7        was not disturbed by them.
     8
     9   Q.   Would you be concerned that there may be rumours going
    10        around the Company about its policies -- it may be trade
    11        unions, it may be something else -- that were not being
    12        countered by official Company memos?  For example, people
    13        may hear a rumour that the Company is anti-union, would
    14        that concern you?
    15        A.  I cannot think of any circumstances where I have heard
    16        rumours that have alarmed me so much that I felt I should
    17        put something out to counter it.  No, I cannot take this
    18        any further.  I have not ever been aware of rumours about
    19        trade unions that have caused me to feel it would be
    20        necessary to put out a rumour (sic).
    21
    22   Q.   If there were false rumours circulating about the Company's
    23        attitude to trade unions, would that be something that
    24        would concern you?
    25        A.  Well, it would depend -- I am hypothesising here -- it
    26        would depend upon what I felt was the seriousness of the
    27        rumour, and whether it could be pinned down to a particular
    28        spot.  If I was concerned about it (and it has not
    29        happened), if I was concerned about it, I would go out and
    30        speak to the crew who I felt were unhappy.  What it would
    31        mean, you see, is that we are failing to communicate and
    32        that would concern me.
    33
    34   Q.   Right.  Because, as you have said, you have never actually
    35        issued any -----
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Whatever the truth of the matter is, you are
    38        talking from different bases.
    39
    40   MR. MORRIS:  If we look at point 29 on page 11, Mark Davis
    41        says:  "Siamak Alimi, his allegations concerning the
    42        joining of a trade union are false.  It is not Company
    43        policy to sack someone who has joined a union.  There has
    44        never been such a policy, although it is fair to say that
    45        at that time there were occasionally false rumours
    46        circulating about McDonald's policy on trades unions".
    47        A.  Yes.
    48
    49   Q.   So there been have been rumours circulating but you were
    50        not aware of them? 
    51        A.  They have not reached me. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Does it concern you, that things may be going on ---
    54        A.  No, because ---
    55
    56   Q.   -- affecting crews?
    57        A.  -- you have really got to ask Mark Davis as to what the
    58        degree this was.  The fact that it did not get to me would
    59        indicate that it was never taken seriously, no-one was
    60        concerned about it.  If they were concerned about it, they

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