Day 121 - 04 May 95 - Page 20


     
     1   Q.   So they were not allowed to leave before the work was done?
     2        A.  They had to get the work done.
     3
     4   Q.   I understand.  If people were asked to stay late, the vast
     5        majority of the time they were warned about this before
     6        they started their shifts.  It was on rare occasions that
     7        people would be asked to stay late during the shifts?
     8        A.  Right.
     9
    10   Q.   So they were made aware that the Manager had the power to
    11        compel them to stay and -----
    12
    13   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  They knew that from their Handbook.
    14
    15   THE WITNESS:  Yes, from the Handbook.
    16
    17   MR. MORRIS:  And sometimes -----
    18        A.  I think that is a very reasonable statement.  He is
    19        saying it was on rare occasions that people would be asked
    20        to stay late during the shift, rare occasions.  Invariably
    21        he would get his volunteers.
    22
    23   MR. MORRIS:  Well -----
    24        A.  Why do you not ask Mark Davis?  It is his statement.
    25
    26   Q.   I will ask him about that, but the point is it happens?
    27        A.  I said it did.
    28
    29   Q.   Yes, OK.  Have you been to the Colchester store?
    30        A.  I think I have been once, yes, I have been once.
    31
    32   Q.   Do you happen to know if it is a high volume store or just
    33        a fairly typical McDonald's store, in terms of its size?
    34        A.  I have been once.  It is on the High Street.  It is
    35        right in the centre of town.  It is so long ago.  I do not
    36        know what the volume of Colchester is, I am afraid.
    37
    38   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do not worry.  You either do or you do not?
    39        A.  I do not, my Lord.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:  I just thought I would see if you happened to know
    42        that.
    43        A.  It is many, many years since I went there.
    44
    45   Q.   If the most numbers scheduled on a Saturday was 32 people
    46        at lunchtime, does that indicate to you that it is -----
    47        A.  No, I am not an operational man.  No, that would not
    48        indicate anything to me.
    49
    50   Q.   OK.  In the next paragraph, paragraph 40, Mark Davis says: 
    51        "McDonald's allegations about pressure and being shouted 
    52        at by managers is again exaggerated.  It is probably fair 
    53        to say that the stores will get relatively at times and
    54        orders are shouted out, and the kitchen is rather noisy".
    55        The kitchen area being rather noisy; is that something that
    56        happens at particular times, or is that -----
    57        A.  It depends upon the volume.  When I say the "volume",
    58        not the volume of the noise, it depends upon the volume of
    59        the hour.  The film you saw the other day, you asked me
    60        about the noise then, and I said they do get frantic, and

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