Day 174 - 17 Oct 95 - Page 22
1 an interest in labour relations in relation to how I was
2 implementing it.
3
4 Q. Now, you said you implemented the National Understanding
5 which would be the normal agreement for the hotel and
6 catering industry in Ireland?
7 A. No, that would not be correct. The National
8 Understanding was a national pay agreement for the entire
9 country and applied to all categories of workers, in other
10 words, the entire work force.
11
12 Q. OK. You implemented that, which resulted in the
13 improvements to the pay and conditions of McDonald's
14 workers?
15 A. Yes, in addition to whatever raises we would be giving.
16
17 Q. Right.
18 A. That is why I say -----
19
20 Q. You implemented that as a result of the Labour Court
21 recommendation and the discussion you had with the union
22 immediately following that?
23 A. I cannot recall, you know, the details of the date that
24 it was implemented. Now -----
25
26 Q. But it was around that time; it was all part of the package
27 at the end of the strike, yes?
28 A. No. The national wage agreement would be -- the
29 direction the government would be giving should be
30 implemented from a particular date.
31
32 Q. Yes, I understand that. But McDonald's previously had not
33 operated this national wage agreement?
34 A. It was -- from memory, it was probably the first or
35 maybe the second national wage agreement in the country.
36 There had not been national wage agreements up to that
37 time.
38
39 Q. So, can you remember when you implemented this national
40 wage agreement or National Understanding that you talk
41 about in those letters?
42 A. Well, I cannot tell you the exact date, except ---
43
44 Q. It was after -----
45 A. -- it was prior -- it was already implemented prior to
46 September 1979.
47
48 Q. But it was after the dispute started?
49 A. Yes.
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What was the date of the National
52 Understanding?
53 A. I cannot recall the date, my Lord.
54
55 Q. Can you remember whether it had dates for when it should be
56 brought into effect?
57 A. No, I cannot remember the dates. Normally speaking, at
58 that particular time -- it is a long time ago -- the
59 national wage agreement ran for one year at a time,
60 sometimes longer.
