Day 002 - 29 Jun 94 - Page 42
1 It is a practice and it is a reality. McDonald's in many
of these cases throughout the leaflet, they either know
2 something is going on or they are reckless as to its
happening.
3
It is our case that McDonald's is an anti-union
4 organisation. Mr. Rampton said in this case he did not
think it was that important. I cannot remember the very
5 words he used. But we think it is important. He said
unions are trying to invade the workplace. He quite
6 accurately, if unknowingly, reflected the paranoia of the
McDonald's Corporation and the war-like mentality and
7 importance they attach to preventing trade unions and
trade union sympathisers invading the workplace.
8
Trade unions in this country have 8 million members,
9 something like that, the largest single membership
organisation in this country. If McDonald's consider that
10 union activities is an invasion, then maybe that is
indicating something about their state of mind on the
11 subject.
12 We believe this is a contested ground in society. I do
not think anyone would disagree that there is a continual
13 antipathy between employers and their trying to prevent
workers having the power to organise themselves, whether
14 it is a union, or whether it is just having the right to
have meetings in work-time, or whatever. Again this is
15 something which is not comparative. It is something that
is fundamental.
16
We are not saying that -- well, we are saying they have a
17 worse attitude to trade unions than other employers in
many respects, but, in any case, they clearly take the
18 steps they need to stop unions from having any foothold.
I have gone on too long on that subject, but we will be
19 calling evidence from other countries, if we can afford to
bring witnesses over. We have the General Secretary of a
20 union in Australia; we have people that have tried to
organise trade unions in McDonald's in the States and
21 Canada including a 17 year old girl from Ontario who will
give her experience of taking on the McDonald's
22 Corporation. We will rely on other examples and trade
union material.
23
I think the next point is they say they are providing jobs
24 for school leavers and take them on regardless of sex or
race. "The truth is McDonald's are only interested in
25 recruiting cheap labour - which always means that
disadvantaged groups, women and black people especially,
26 are even more exploited by industry than they are already"
which is the last line of that section.
27
Mr. Rampton and the McDonald's Corporation seem to think
28 that what we are saying is that McDonald's discriminates
against women and black people, either by not hiring them
29 or by not promoting them. We are not saying that at all.
That is not our case at all. It is clearly not the
30 interpretation of that statement. All their evidence
about equal opportunities is a complete red herring to
