Day 180 - 31 Oct 95 - Page 09


     
     1   MR. MORRIS:  ".....accompanied by a solicitor on behalf of the
     2        plaintiffs and an area supervisor.  I had asked to see the
     3        store in operation at peak times, and to receive certain
     4        overall statistical information on the workforce at the two
     5        stores.  However, these requests were denied.
     6
     7        "6.  It is only possible to gain a comprehensive picture of
     8        working conditions through direct contact with employees.
     9        However, I was not granted permission to discuss with crew
    10        some of the issues which are in contention, including:
    11        staff views on trade unionism in the company, its relevance
    12        and desirability; opinions on staffing levels, shift
    13        arrangements, working hours, overtime worked and other
    14        scheduling practices; their experience of health and safety
    15        issues at the restaurant; and how, in their view, the need
    16        for stores to meet labour cost targets affected work
    17        scheduling and standards of health and safety at work.
    18
    19        "7.  I was shown round the cooking and service areas,
    20        observed some work practices, discussed some operational
    21        issues with managers and perused the accident books and
    22        daily food production schedules.  Copies of these documents
    23        have not been made available to me."
    24
    25        It may be worth noting that that was a subject of a
    26        request, I believe, a formal request.  That was from us.
    27
    28        You also wrote to McDonald's, did you, about those matters,
    29        or did you write to us?
    30        A.  I wrote to McDonald's on those matters.
    31
    32   Q.   Right, OK.
    33
    34        "8.  Although I did not observe the restaurants working at
    35        their peak, I was struck by the intense concentration of
    36        effort by employees.  At each unit, I observed
    37        front-of-house staff skip-running" -- emphasise staff
    38        skip-running -- "in order to complete the delivery of
    39        orders to customers within the required service times.
    40
    41        "9.  Though I was not provided with written details, I was
    42        shown the hour-by-hour predicted product sales targets for
    43        the week.  The expected sales are based on previous
    44        experience.  This apparently enables managers to schedule
    45        staffing levels against predicted sales."
    46
    47        10.  Though I saw the back-of-house areas at off-peak
    48        times, they seemed in both instances to be near the limit
    49        of their safe working capacity, given that speed of
    50        movement is at a premium, regardless of how many customers 
    51        are in the queue.  I examined the stores' accident books, 
    52        each recording accidents over the previous two to three 
    53        years.  The range of occurrences was similar to those found
    54        in the 27 UK and Ireland employee witness statements, which
    55        I have examined.  I have requested, but not received, a
    56        copy of recent entries in these two accident books, though
    57        I was given to understand at the time of my visits that
    58        this information would be made available.
    59
    60        "David McGee.

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