Day 142 - 26 Jun 95 - Page 60
1 specifically with regard to youth rates of pay.
2
3 MR. MORRIS: So you are aware there were disputes over the
4 hiring of young people and McDonald's using the hiring of
5 young people and avoiding higher rates of pay and, thereby,
6 keeping their labour costs down ----
7 A. No ----
8
9 Q. --- as an issue unions were raising?
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do not go on too long. Might I suggest that
12 you put it bit by bit.
13
14 MR. MORRIS: The disputes were over ----
15
16 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are you aware of disputes over the hiring of
17 young people with a view to avoiding paying higher rates?
18 A. No, my Lord. The only disputes that I am aware of, if
19 you can call it a dispute, were the proceedings before the
20 labour court in New South Wales. It had nothing to do with
21 any activity at McDonald's restaurants to my knowledge,
22 except there were some -- I am sorry, there were some
23 unrelated boycotts on occasion with regard to construction
24 and a few other things, but as far as there being a direct
25 dispute at a McDonald's restaurant, I am not aware of
26 that. I am aware of matters before the labour court in New
27 South Wales, but these are award determinations; I would
28 not call them disputes. That is where the association and
29 union were not able to agree upon certain terms. The
30 matter was then submitted to the labour court for their
31 resolutions.
32
33 MR. MORRIS: So there are differences between unions and the
34 employers over the, as pleaded, industrial award minimum
35 wage and related working conditions which were arbitrated
36 through the Labour Board?
37 A. The machinery there is that the Labour Boards hear
38 those matters, then they make determinations.
39
40 Q. You said you were aware of boycotts, activities by
41 construction unions, amongst others?
42 A. I am aware, yes, in general there were from time to
43 time boycotts by construction unions.
44
45 Q. Were you aware of the details of the awards that were being
46 debated in the arbitration hearing, the Labour Board
47 arbitration hearings?
48 A. No.
49
50 Q. Were you aware of what the details were that were in
51 dispute between the union and employers that related to
52 McDonald's?
53 A. The issues before the New South Wales Labour Board had
54 to do with proportions clauses.
55
56 Q. What is a proportion clause?
57
58 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, I wonder where we are going now. We are
59 in New South Wales.
60
