Day 207 - 23 Jan 96 - Page 46
1 Q. If it is basically they are not getting the hours that they
2 want to do, either too short or too long, would you accept
3 that that is a common complaint from crew?
4 A. No, if a crew member has a -- is not getting the hours
5 that they feel they need, I have had them come to me and,
6 you know, if we can resolve what they consider a problem,
7 we will resolve it.
8
9 MR. MORRIS: How often does that happen, that people actually do
10 come to you and say that? Is that a regular occurrence
11 then?
12 A. I may get someone -- occasionally, I may, while I am
13 doing the schedule, I get a period where people will work
14 extra hours during the holiday periods, or may want to come
15 and get extra hours during the holiday periods, and those
16 are the majority.
17
18 MS. STEEL: Just on page 253, which is the rap session of
19 26th September 1995, under "Recruitment and Selection" --
20 have you got the page?
21 A. Yes.
22
23 Q. About a third of the way down it says: "Very short of
24 staff, so hiring arms and legs". Would you accept that the
25 store was very sort of staff at that time?
26 A. What date was this, sorry?
27
28 Q. September 95.
29 A. To my knowledge, no.
30
31 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can you say the date in September because,
32 bearing in mind what is said about students, that could be
33 important.
34
35 MS. STEEL: It is on page 249.
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: 26th September.
38
39 MS. STEEL (To the witness): You do remember times when the
40 restaurant was short of staff and you had to increase the
41 pay above what the national guidelines set by the Company
42 were, do you not, in order to hire people?
43 A. We have increased the pay right in order to recruit
44 more staff, yes.
45
46 Q. Because people were not prepared to work for the normal
47 rates of pay?
48 A. I cannot answer that because we have increased the rate
49 of pay and we have hired staff. Prior to that, we were not
50 -- yes, I suppose we were not hiring staff that we wanted.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Could you just help me, when it had the
53 region average which, in very general terms, the turnover
54 rate was about half what it was at the Bath restaurant ---
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. -- what does that region cover?
58 A. It will cover, if it is the Midlands regional average,
59 it will cover basically the Midlands area which will
60 be ......
