Day 180 - 31 Oct 95 - Page 57
1 A. In the provinces, 10p when you could have expected 30
2 in Inner London and, my opinion, high unemployment amongst
3 young people makes this possible because -----
4
5 MR. MORRIS: Sorry, makes what possible?
6 A. Makes -----
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I can follow; he does not have to spell
9 everything out. Yes?
10 A. Because if they had, in the crew jargon, stronger
11 bargaining power in the labour market, then you would have
12 had, as a minimum, pay rises keeping pace with inflation.
13 You take away Wages Councils, take away the flaw, take away
14 the minimum, the market prevails and the unequal nature of
15 the employment relationship, the unequal nature of the
16 employment relationship is -----
17
18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just pause for a moment; I am trying to keep
19 up.
20
21 MR. RAMPTON: I am afraid to say I ought to interrupt because,
22 not this particular piece of ------
23
24 MS. STEEL: Can you interrupt in a moment?
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I want to get the answer down first,
27 Mr. Rampton, and then you can make your point.
28
29 MR. RAMPTON: I am sorry, my Lord, yes. No, I did not meant to
30 interrupt the answer. Let him finish the answer, but I
31 want to come back to something else.
32
33 THE WITNESS: Then I think the -----
34
35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am sorry, I may be being very slow but it
36 is important I get it right. Yes? Just say what you were
37 going to add and then I will hear what Mr. Rampton wants to
38 say.
39
40 MS. STEEL: I think you were saying the nature of the employment
41 relationship, take away the minimum, the market prevails
42 and the unequal nature of the employment relationship is
43 ------
44 A. Is revealed.
45
46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just pause there. Yes, Mr. Rampton?
47
48 MR. RAMPTON: I am sorry, my Lord, it was just that Ms. Steel
49 made it sound as though Mr. Davis had said that the -----
50
51 MS. STEEL: No, I said Mr. Richards.
52
53 MR. RAMPTON: Sorry, Mr. Richards it says actually in the
54 transcript that I have got. I will give your Lordship the
55 reference. One would not want the witness to proceed on a
56 false basis which is that on 3rd October, Day 168, it made
57 it seem as though Mr. Richards had said that the basic
58 starting rate was £3.05. He did say that in relation to
59 under 18s. What he said was that -- I think this is right
60 -- the starting rate for the 18s and overs was £3.20.
