Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 27
1 value, and get it all very consistently. That is the
end-all be-all of any business, turnover -- no turnover,
2 you are sunk.
3 Q. Then can we jump to the next paragraph -- I will read the
rest of this. If you want to comment on it, tell me:
4 "McDonald's is no exception: three-quarters of its
workers are under 21. The production-line system deskills
5 the work itself: Anybody can grill a hamburger, and
cleaning toilets or smiling at customers needs no
6 training." Any comment on any of that?
A. I think factually probably some of it is incorrect.
7 I suppose it is right, anyone can grill a hamburger, but
I am not after selling one. I am after trying to feed 500
8 million a year minimum, as we talked about earlier. This
is an exercise of building a business. I dare say it is
9 not so easy to do 500 million people a year without some
kind of organised system which can deliver on a regular
10 basis to mum, dad and the kids quality, service,
cleanliness and value to bring them back -- after all, the
11 population of the UK is only 56 million.
12 Q. That is ten meals per head of the population per year
roughly?
13 A. So we must be doing something right.
14 Q. Do your staff get trained in the cooking systems they use?
A. They get intensely trained in all production
15 facilities, in all service facilities; how to use the
equipment, how to work as a team. They get trained in
16 health and hygiene practices. We try to leave no stone
unturned in terms of what they are given as to preparation
17 to do the jobs required.
18 Q. Now we move on: "So there is no need to employ chefs or
qualified staff - just anybody prepared to work for low
19 wages. As there is no legally-enforced minimum wage in
Britain, McDonald's can pay what they like, helping to
20 depress wage levels in the catering trade still further".
I think you already told us about that?
21 A. I think so.
22 Q. "They," that is McDonald's "say they are providing jobs for
school leaveers and take them on regardless of sex or
23 race". Is that true, that statement attributed to your
organisation?
24 A. We do provide jobs for school-leavers and we do take
them on regardless of sex or race. We are absolutely
25 equal opportunity.
26 Q. The next sentence says this: "The truth is McDonald's are
only interested in recruiting cheap labour which always
27 means the disadvantaged groups, women and black people
especially, are even more exploited by industry than they
28 already are." So far as you and McDonald's in
this country are concerned, is that the truth,
29 Mr. Preston?
A. That is false.
30
Q. There is nothing else about this leaflet to which I need
