Day 189 - 20 Nov 95 - Page 41


     
     1        the training squad was a position of privilege.
     2
     3        After the management found out that I was a member of a
     4        trade union, I was demoted from my responsible position in
     5        the squad and put on to the most menial tasks.  I was
     6        wrongfully dismissed for an alleged breach of procedure in
     7        changing my work schedule.  This was just a pretext for
     8        sacking me for my union activity and sympathies.  I had
     9        arranged for somebody to work a day for me when I was
    10        unable to work, and for this I was dismissed without
    11        warning.
    12
    13        The Manager had agreed verbally to my changing the work
    14        schedule and this was the first time I had any such problem
    15        while working for McDonald's.  I complained about my
    16        dismissal and this complaint was referred to the Rights
    17        Commissioner who founded I had been wrongfully dismissed
    18        and recommended that McDonald's pay me £600 in
    19        compensation.  McDonald's paid me this compensation.
    20
    21        At no time did this victimisation and harassment get
    22        criticised or stopped by higher Company officials.
    23        I considered the Company to be, in my experience, totally
    24        anti-union.  McDonald's required their staff to work long
    25        hours often until the early hours of the morning.  No
    26        transport home is provided for staff even when working as
    27        late as 3 a.m. having completed an eight to 10 hour shift.
    28        This can be very frightening for female staff who are also
    29        required to work these hours as McDonald's is an 'equal
    30        opportunities employer'.
    31
    32        Amendments:  Re. paragraph 2, the 'demotion' mentioned
    33        above is a return to menial duties e.g. picking weeds in
    34        the grounds surrounding the store, cleaning toilets,
    35        etcetera.
    36
    37        Note, the matters of policy on working conditions to which
    38        I refer in this statement can only be attributed to the
    39        store in which I worked.  I have no experience of other
    40        stores in the McDonald's chain".  That completes the
    41        statement signed July 9th 1993.
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, thank you.  Does that complete the
    44        evidence in relation to Dublin on both sides?
    45
    46   MR. MORRIS:  It does, except for I can let the court know that
    47        Thomas Caulfield has been traced and he is just going to
    48        make a statement about what happened to him at the end of
    49        the strike.  If you remember, there were allegations that
    50        he was dismissed for trade union activity. 
    51 
    52   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What I suggest you do is you take a statement 
    53        from him, serve it on the other side, and I will decide
    54        whether, if you have leave to introduce it, he is a witness
    55        you would want to call into the witness box or  ---
    56
    57   MR. MORRIS:  We would not want to call him.
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- you will have Civil Evidence Act grounds,
    60        will you?

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