Day 121 - 04 May 95 - Page 56


     
     1        understanding was?
     2        A.  Yes.
     3
     4   Q.   It may well be that other evidence will be put in front of
     5        me that it was calculated by some managers on an hourly
     6        rate, but there you are; you say you were not aware of that
     7        practice.
     8
     9   MS. STEEL:  You do not know anything about any allowance?
    10        A.  No, I am prepared to accept that there were stores and
    11        there are regions which work it out that way.  As I said,
    12        there was no hard and fast rule about it.  The only rule
    13        was that the food was free.
    14
    15   Q.   If you could turn to page 412 please, that is in tab 11?
    16        This is the Crew Training Programme?
    17        A.  Yes.
    18
    19   Q.   Food Policy, No. 5, the second sentence:  "When you have a
    20        break, you may take a meal of your choice, in accordance
    21        with the allowance operating in the store, which is"
    22        blank.
    23        A.  Mmm.
    24
    25   Q.   So the food is an allowance rather than being "help
    26        yourself"?
    27        A.  At the stores I went in, that was what they would put
    28        in there.  Take what you want but eat what you take.  That
    29        is the allowance.  The Manager can make any interpretation,
    30        or the Regional Manager can say:  "This is what we are
    31        going to do in my region" or the Market Manager will say,
    32        or even the Supervisor will say to his three stores:  "This
    33        is what I think we should do".  That is why it is left
    34        blank.
    35
    36   Q.   The Company does not take any interest in what a particular
    37        Manager sets?
    38        A.  We have to accept that the supervisory staff at
    39        whichever level sets this is reasonable in their approach.
    40
    41   Q.   But this is not the kind of thing that you ever kept a
    42        check on?
    43        A.  In what the individual stores were doing?
    44
    45   Q.   In your department?
    46        A.  No, I would be surprised.  I think that is more an
    47        Operational matter.
    48
    49   Q.   It is to do with Personnel, is it not, whether they are
    50        getting fed or not? 
    51        A.  They are getting their free food; we know they are 
    52        getting their free food. 
    53
    54   Q.   If a store sets an allowance that -----
    55        A.  To what value, is a matter for the local management.
    56
    57   Q.   If the store set an allowance of 10p per hour that they
    58        work, then they would not hardly be getting any food?
    59        A.  But they would not get that --- that would not be
    60        allowed.

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