Day 151 - 10 Jul 95 - Page 11
1 necessarily mean there were problems in the restaurants in
2 terms of hiring numbers or retaining people. It just may
3 well be, in the most cases, that the competition, so to
4 speak, in the job market were paying more. So, in order
5 for us to compete and offer people a similar sort of wage,
6 then they would have the discretion, upon authorisation,
7 I think it was, from the senior supervisor.
8
9 Q. To encourage people to join you and to stay on?
10 A. Certainly in terms of, I suppose, getting people to
11 apply, certainly, because again -- I think this is
12 Mr. Morris' point -- if people are looking to join any
13 organisation, they will look at the comparable rates of
14 pay. I think, certainly, if there is a disadvantage for us
15 in that respect, a significant disadvantage, then they
16 would have the ability to have a look at to it or review
17 it.
18
19 Q. Just on pay increases and things like that, when you were
20 supervisor in Colchester, if crew had received an increase,
21 a performance related increase, then when they got the
22 annual pay review in June -- it usually was, was it not?
23 A. From the Company?
24
25 Q. Yes.
26 A. Right.
27
28 Q. -- they would not keep that differential, would they, if
29 they were 5p above the old rate, or 10p above the old rate,
30 or 20p above the old rate, because of their performance;
31 they would not keep that when it came up to June and they
32 got the annual pay increase; they would go back to the
33 basic -----
34 A. I understand what you are saying. I cannot recollect.
35 I know we changed somewhere along the line, that if
36 somebody was above, 20p above the base rate, if the Company
37 reviewed the starting rate, then they would keep the
38 variance.
39
40 Q. When was that brought in?
41 A. I am afraid I cannot remember.
42
43 Q. In the late 80s?
44 A. I would be hazarding a guess. I cannot remember.
45
46 Q. Was it while you were at Colchester or was it after you
47 left Colchester?
48 A. I cannot remember.
49
50 Q. You are aware of some change in policy, at any rate?
51 A. I believe I am correct in saying that I know we
52 reviewed it for salaried people. But, again, I am getting
53 into Human Resources areas that I not really qualified to
54 speak on.
55
56 Q. Would you not have to look into that kind of thing when you
57 were making your checks in the stores?
58 A. As a supervisor?
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Certainly, he would do. But we may be
