Day 302 - 18 Nov 96 - Page 18


     
     1
     2   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   We will pause there.  Five minutes.
     3
     4                         (Short Adjournment)
     5
     6   MR. MORRIS:   I have not got a great deal more of Mr. Beavers to
     7        do.  He explained on day 125, page 20, line 45 that the
     8        company wanted "people with a high energy level, the pace
     9        at McDonald's is fast", and that competition between
    10        employees to work speedily created "a service
    11        perspective".  That is day 124, page 29, line 43, I think.
    12        He stated that the hustle policy of fast working emanated
    13        from the US - it is not a direct quote - and applied to
    14        their workers all over the world.  That is day 125,
    15        page 26, line 42.  And I will just check that a minute.
    16        (Pause)
    17
    18        He was not aware - on that same day, same page reference -
    19        about the Health and Safety Executive in the UK condemning
    20        that policy, because of its detriment to employee safety.
    21        Their report had concluded that hustle "provides a good
    22        illustration of the culture in the company".  That is an
    23        interesting word when it comes to McDonald's, the word
    24        "culture".  Its application had resulted in a conflict
    25        between operational requirements and safety where the need
    26        to get the product to the customer and to maximize sales in
    27        competition with other stores, presumably competitors, had
    28        taken precedence.  This was brought up in the following
    29        pages.
    30
    31        The point being here, this is an example of how we have a
    32        systemic problem.  We have a policy starting in America,
    33        which is part of the culture of the company and, with
    34        McDonald's, culture is just as important as official
    35        provisions.  And it is a worldwide practice and if the
    36        company was responsible, once it had been criticised by the
    37        Health and Safety Executive, which there can be no more
    38        authoritative body in the UK, then it would have publicised
    39        that worldwide to ensure, in order to protect staff safety,
    40        that the hustle policy was abandoned.
    41
    42        But as we have heard in other examples, it is one thing for
    43        McDonald's to spread something worldwide when it benefits
    44        them, but when something goes against them, whether it is
    45        an advert that has been criticised or this HSE report or
    46        other matters that we have heard from time to time in the
    47        evidence, that seems to be kept secret in that country so
    48        they carry on doing what has been stated in some countries
    49        to be unacceptable.  So for McDonald's, globalisation is
    50        only globalisation of their business practices and they do
    51        not want globalisation of criticism.
    52
    53        He admitted on day 125, page 19, lines 4 to 22, that
    54        consistent and important reasons given by McDonald's
    55        workers for quitting their jobs included, as revealed in
    56        the company's operations manual, understaffing, poor
    57        treatment, which involved lack of recognition, poor people
    58        practices, dissatisfaction with pay, low and/or infrequent
    59        raises, also no job enjoyment or satisfaction, and poor
    60        working conditions involving faulty and missing equipment,

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