Day 207 - 23 Jan 96 - Page 40
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2 MS. STEEL: Right.
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4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: So, Saturday, 7th August 1993, I think it
5 was. Just pause a moment. What are you saying would be
6 fairly normal about that day: the number of people on
7 duty, the hours which Miss Steel and Mr. Morris took you
8 through which they worked and when they had their breaks?
9 A. The number of people actually on, 44 people.
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11 Q. But is there anything on that sheet which surprised you as
12 for when they took their breaks, it being a Saturday, and
13 the length of the breaks, which you were taken through?
14 A. Some of the staff did surprise me, that how short a
15 break they took.
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17 MS. STEEL: Did it concern you?
18 A. Yes, it did concern me.
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20 Q. Did it concern you that they were taking their breaks --
21 some of them were taking their breaks very shortly after
22 they began working?
23 A. Typically, we would not -- or most people would not
24 expect to take their breaks between the hours of 12 and 2,
25 because those are our busiest periods.
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27 Q. So, you do not see a problem with crew going on their break
28 immediately after they start work or within an hour of
29 starting work, when they are working five or six hours,
30 something like that? You would not consider that a
31 problem?
32 A. I would not like to see -- yes, I would not like to see
33 crew take their break that early in the shift.
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35 Q. Because it is not fair on the crew?
36 A. Yes. I would prefer them to take it maybe later on,
37 after the lunch period, two o'clock or something.
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39 Q. When the store went quiet, people would be sent home, would
40 they not?
41 A. If the restaurant did experience a drop in volume,
42 people would be asked whether they would like to go home.
43 They would not be forced to go home. If they wished to
44 stay and work, they would stay and work.
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46 Q. There would be pressure put on people to go home, would
47 there not?
48 A. We would ask people whether or not they would like to
49 go home.
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51 Q. If they said no, if they all said no, what would happen:
52 you would just let them all stay, and your labour costs
53 would be high; you would not be worried about that?
54 A. If they all decided -- if they decided they did not
55 want to go home, they would stay.
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57 Q. Are you saying that you never put pressure on people to go
58 home?
59 A. I have never put pressure on people to go home.
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