Day 310 - 04 Dec 96 - Page 25


     
     1   MR. RAMPTON:   I just tell your Lordship this in passing,
     2        because you asked what the figures were a little while
     3        back: in that year, 1990, the number of service workers
     4        employed by McDonald's was 87,246.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Sorry?
     7
     8   MR. RAMPTON:   In the United States.  87,246.  That is by the
     9        Company.  Those, as I recall it, are figures which they
    10        have to supply to the US Government.
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Thank you.  Well, we will take our five
    13        minute break there.  When we come back, I have one or two
    14         -- and they are literally one or two -- other general
    15        matters to ask about.  I would like to know whether both
    16        sides feel that I can deal with the question of amendment
    17        of the counterclaim this morning or today, or whether that
    18        should be put over to whenever we resume, which looks as
    19        if, subject to what you tell me about availability of other
    20        submissions, may be Friday morning.
    21
    22   MR. RAMPTON:   Yes.
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Since it has just been raised, that probably
    25        rather depends upon what you say.  Obviously, the
    26        Defendants are ready to make their application.
    27
    28   MR. RAMPTON:   As I have understood it, this is just some
    29        additional words.
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is the words which I suggested in the
    32        Background Briefing did not appear in the counterclaim.
    33
    34                         (Short Adjournment)
    35
    36   MR. RAMPTON:   My Lord, can I mention the remaining sections?
    37        They will be ready by 1.30, but they might not get here by
    38        one.  I am not asking your Lordship to come back at two or
    39        anything like that.  May we have them transported to
    40        your Lordship?  I don't know if you will be here this
    41        afternoon.
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I will be with you, but just as soon as
    44        you can get them there.
    45
    46   MR. RAMPTON:   We will send them to the Defendants at the same
    47        time.
    48
    49   MR JUSTICE BELL:  I have other work to do, so just whenever they
    50        are ready. 
    51 
    52   MR. RAMPTON:   Can I just say a couple more things about the 
    53        question of the low pay?   Although inevitably
    54        your Lordship will, as though you were a jury, take into
    55        account as a factor one of the factors which determines the
    56        level of pay being the level of unemployment in any country
    57        at any particular time, there is actually no evidence about
    58        that.  There is a general proposition drawn from one's
    59        knowledge of the world; one can say, yes, that is likely to
    60        be a factor.  But there is no evidence one way or the other

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