Day 150 - 07 Jul 95 - Page 27
1 whatever"?
2 A. No, they would not position it the way you have
3 positioned it. If, for example, that they became aware
4 of -- no, what would happen in practice was that if a
5 member of staff, and in the majority of cases it would be
6 the sort of day versus neither shift, if there was somebody
7 who was not available for the night shift which, say,
8 starts at 4 o'clock and there was somebody scheduled to
9 finish at 4.00, then the Manager would ask for that person
10 to volunteer to, perhaps, stay around for an hour or so
11 while we telephoned or the Manager in this case would
12 telephone somebody else to come in. I have had those sorts
13 of circumstances happen.
14
15 Q. So people could be asked, whether by phone or at the store,
16 to stay on later?
17 A. Sure.
18
19 Q. But are you making a distinction between that and being
20 compelled to stay on?
21 A. There is no way that, well, in the first instance that
22 we would want to compel somebody and, secondly, the
23 individual would not do it, either there are commitments --
24 but once again back to the idea of having the flexibility,
25 the flexible approach, I have certainly had people come to
26 me when I was a Restaurant Manager in Leicester asking to
27 finish earlier because they needed to pick up their
28 children, for example, because the child minder, or
29 whatever, was unable to. I would hope that that would
30 almost be a reciprocal action, that should the need arise
31 for me to ask someone to stay five, 10 maybe even an hour
32 behind, if they could do it voluntarily and they were able
33 to do it, then, yes, I have heard of those circumstances,
34 but the idea of once again us barring the exit, forcing
35 that person to stay on, just is not true.
36
37 Q. I suppose somebody would say to you: "Well, there are more
38 subtle ways of putting pressure on people to do what the
39 management want them to do when it comes to working either
40 particular hours in the day which are not convenient to
41 that person, or longer hours than that person wishes to do
42 or, indeed, shorter hours than that person wishes to do".
43 I will suggest a few of them to you and see what you have
44 to say on them: If you do not co-operate, then you are
45 forced to do the toilets. That is not a job that anyone
46 likes doing, presumably.
47 A. But, what, you mean use it as a punishment, use that as
48 a -----
49
50 Q. Yes.
51 A. But that is crazy then because that means then when
52 I do the job then I am punishing myself, if you take the
53 logic to itself.
54
55 Q. So you do the job yourself, what, now?
56 A. I still do it now if I have to.
57
58 Q. You still do it now?
59 A. Yes, but if it is -- I suppose it is too basic -- if
60 there is a toilet or urinal that is blocked, then why would
