Day 180 - 31 Oct 95 - Page 46


     
     1        inducted staff usually a month, six weeks, maybe six months
     2        service.
     3
     4   Q.   Just pause for a moment.
     5        A.  Starter rates are probationary.
     6
     7   Q.   You said usually a month and then something, then six
     8        months?
     9        A.  Well, the probationary period would vary amongst all
    10        these information providers in this survey.
    11
    12   Q.   Yes, but what were the periods you gave?
    13        A.  Typically a month to six months.  That would be the
    14        sort of typical period.
    15
    16   MR. MORRIS:  That would apply to all the other companies as well
    17        as McDonald's or whatever?
    18        A.  I am using my words "typically" advisedly because, you
    19        know, they would vary, but that is the -- that is the
    20        standard jargon, starter rate then basic rate.
    21
    22   Q.   Can I just say that we did look at this before when we came
    23        to this last document, G1.  The McDonald's rates are, in
    24        fact, from 1989.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There are various glosses, but what I did not
    27        want to do is assume that basic hourly rate was the same as
    28        starting rate, it may or may not be.  That is why I am
    29        asking what Mr. Pearson's understanding is.
    30
    31   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, in any case the G1 document, the McDonald's
    32        rates, as we found earlier on in the case, are from 1989,
    33        two years later than the survey.
    34
    35   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  Let Mr. Rampton say what he wants to
    36        say.
    37
    38   MR. RAMPTON:  I intervene to remind your Lordship that the
    39        evidence, so far as this document is concerned, the figures
    40        given for McDonald's are the starting rates.
    41
    42   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I know that but -- thank you very much --
    43        that is why I asked what the basic rates were.  The witness
    44        is well aware of it.  It is now clear.  I wanted to make
    45        sure.
    46        A.  I was about just to say that in some cases basic rates
    47        and starting rates are the same thing.
    48
    49   Q.   Yes.
    50 
    51   MR. MORRIS:  But, in any event, McDonald's actual starting rates 
    52        were not 2.20, 2.27, 2.43 in 1987.  So, to compare like 
    53        with like, they were not actually 1.99, 2.06, and 2.22 in
    54        April 1987.  They have put their own rates two years
    55        later.
    56
    57   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause a moment.
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS:  I think, if you remember, we did deal with that at
    60        the time.

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