Day 155 - 14 Jul 95 - Page 59


     
     1        action did not work, then that could well be the case.
     2
     3   Q.   What improvements did you make in training?
     4        A.  Basically, there was two or three people that had been
     5        there X amount of months, maybe some were a bit longer than
     6        that, where they showed very, very good potential, they
     7        were actually well trained themselves, which was a bit of a
     8        surprise considering the rest of the people, and I just
     9        pencilled these people where they took a group of, like,
    10        six or seven people in a way to partner these people, get
    11        the observation check lists done, the test, etc. etc., just
    12        to get them up to scratch a little bit.
    13
    14   Q.   At some point you introduced video training?
    15        A.  Well, video training, I gather, has been in place for a
    16        number of years.
    17
    18   Q.   Do you remember whether it was in place or not when you
    19        arrived?
    20        A.  No, I do not remember.
    21
    22   Q.   You do not remember?
    23        A.  No.
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  You said that there was no more than 10 per cent
    26        under 18s and about 20 to 30 per cent over 21s and,
    27        therefore, 70 to 80 per cent of your staff were 21 or
    28        under?
    29        A.  Approximate figures, yes.
    30
    31   Q.   The only place you advertised outside the store was at the
    32        polytechnic specifically?
    33        A.  That is right.
    34
    35   Q.   You said that you were willing to take on in your
    36        statement:  "Our policy was and is to employ whichever
    37        people in the local community were willing and able to work
    38        for us."   You targeted students and, presumably, you also
    39        targeted people aged 21 or under?
    40        A.  I did not really target any sort of age group.
    41
    42   Q.   So can we assume then that people over the age of 21
    43        generally were not willing to work for you?
    44        A.  No.
    45
    46   Q.   How can we explain the fact that if you say you were
    47        willing to employ anyone who was willing to work for you
    48        and you did target students, how do you explain the fact
    49        that the majority of the rest just happened to be under 21?
    50        A.  Sorry, I do not understand what you are saying. 
    51 
    52   Q.   You talked about in a store if somebody particularly excels 
    53        in a year, they might get a special pay rise, would that be
    54        like, you know, Crew Person of the Year or something?  At
    55        the end of the year you would say:  "Right"  -----
    56        A.  No, it is -- you can have merit rises at any time
    57        however many times in the year that you want, but that is
    58        Store Manager's -----
    59
    60   Q.   That would be for exceptional crew performance?

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