Day 151 - 10 Jul 95 - Page 63
1
2 Q. It is the same rule for both?
3 A. Yes.
4
5 Q. In summary, when you look at all your stores that you are
6 responsible for, is there any marked better or worse
7 standards from the Company stores as to the franchise
8 stores or is it all basically roughly of similar standard?
9 When comparing franchise stores to Company stores, are the
10 standards there better or worst or roughly the same over
11 all?
12 A. I would say over all they were probably broadly similar
13 if my recollection is correct.
14
15 Q. Moving away from that area of questioning, just going back
16 to Colchester, I am just checking. Mark Davis in his
17 statement twice refers to people being asked to work during
18 their break time or break times being shortened.
19 A. 33, is it?
20
21 Q. Yes.
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why do you not put a question?
24
25 MR. MORRIS: Yes. Were you aware that break times could be
26 shortened in Colchester, people would not get their full
27 breaks?
28 A. I am not aware that it was a regular occurrence.
29
30 Q. But you are aware it happened from time to time?
31 A. Yes. I think it happened from time to time. They were
32 asked to finish maybe 10 minutes early, but again my
33 recollection is they did not loose that break allowance.
34 I think we allowed them the full break.
35
36 Q. We had better look at Mark Davis' statement then.
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: There is no need to do that. You just put
39 what you are suggesting happened and then, in due course,
40 we will hear Mr. Davis' evidence. It is obvious you are
41 putting it from his statement. I mean there is one thing
42 you have to take into account: I appreciate the evidence
43 Mr. Stanton is giving about the degree of his supervision
44 but people do not necessarily observe or note the same
45 thing, so it is simpler just to put the state of affairs as
46 you would like to establish it and see what Mr. Stanton
47 says about it.
48
49 MR. MORRIS: Were there occasions when employees, especially
50 floor managers, would have to work part of their breaks if
51 the store was surprisingly busy?
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Were you aware of that happening?
54 A. I am trying to work out whether or not when we changed
55 -- I think floor managers were paid for breaks anyway.
56 Again, I am going to have to be guided by human resources,
57 but I do recollect that I think I was the supervisor at
58 Colchester when there was a change and as such we did not
59 pay for breaks, but I am pretty sure all the floor managers
60 in Colchester were paid for breaks and continued to be paid
