Day 173 - 16 Oct 95 - Page 36


     
     1   MS. STEEL:   You have said in your statement that shortly after
     2        the Company opened the first restaurant in May 1977 you
     3        received a letter from the Irish Transport and General
     4        Workers Union who wished to discuss the terms and
     5        conditions of their employees; and you say: "I did not
     6        respond to this letter as none of my staff had expressed
     7        any dissatisfaction about their work or the conditions of
     8        their employment."  Does that mean that you could not reply
     9        to the letter?
    10        A.  No, it meant that I did not see the necessity to reply
    11        to the letter.
    12
    13   Q.   You ignored the letter, did you not, hoping that the issue
    14        would go away?
    15        A.  No.  I ignored the letter because I had not heard from
    16        any of my employees.
    17
    18   Q.   You did not know whether or not any of your -- did you make
    19        any enquiries as to whether your employees were interested
    20        in being represented by a union?
    21        A.  I cannot recall whether I did or I did not.  It is a
    22        long time ago.
    23
    24   Q.   Did you make any enquiries amongst the crew and other
    25        employees whether they were happy about their working
    26        conditions and pay?
    27        A.  Again, I cannot recall.  I mean, it is a long time ago.
    28
    29   Q.   Are you aware now that there were some members who had
    30        joined the union by that stage?
    31        A.  No, I am not.  I mean, there was nothing produced to me
    32        to indicate that.
    33
    34   Q.   Were you aware that that was raised when the Labour Court
    35        made its recommendations at the hearing prior to that; it
    36        was raised at that hearing?
    37        A.  Sorry, let me understand.  The hearing prior to 1977?
    38
    39   Q.   No, the hearing in 1979 when the Labour Court made its
    40        recommendations, you are aware that it was raised at that
    41        hearing that the workers had joined the union shortly after
    42        the first store opened and that it was on their request
    43        that the union had contacted the Company?
    44        A.  If that is what it says in the findings, that is
    45        correct.
    46
    47   Q.   Right.  You attended the hearing, did you?
    48        A.  Of the Labour Court?
    49
    50   Q.   Yes. 
    51        A.  No. 
    52 
    53   Q.   You did not?
    54        A.  No.  I had an employers' body, the FUE, Federated Union
    55        of Employers, to represent the Company.
    56
    57   Q.   So you did not attend it at any time?
    58        A.  No.
    59
    60   Q.   But you, presumably, saw the recommendations afterwards?

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