Day 121 - 04 May 95 - Page 62
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2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you? Are records kept partly with a view
3 to giving references? Is there any particular procedure in
4 relation to that?
5 A. No. I can speak very soundly on staff in that their
6 files are kept for at least three years. So if anyone
7 writes in within three years we can refer back to the
8 actual file. But with crew people, I mean, the Manager
9 would obviously have some knowledge of the person so he can
10 deal with it within, say, a year. But after that I think
11 we would just say that they started work for us on such and
12 such a date, left on such and such a date, and their record
13 was whatever the code indicated the reasons for leaving
14 were, and if anyone had any personal knowledge of it that
15 would be dealt with locally by the local management. We do
16 not keep 30 thousand files up in East Finchley. We keep
17 the files on staff and salaried personnel at East
18 Finchley.
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20 MR. MORRIS: Is it not an obligation by law to provide
21 references for X employees when they ----
22 A. I am not sure we supply them.
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24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You produce it if it is. I must say, I am
25 surprised that an employer has to keep sufficient records
26 to be able to give a full reference however far ahead.
27 But, in any event, that is neither here nor there so far as
28 this case is concerned. I appreciate, if you are looking
29 on discovery, that is one thing.
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31 MR. MORRIS: Yes.
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33 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I really think we have gone far enough on
34 questioning Mr. Nicholson with a view to some query about
35 discovery. There has to be a limit to how long you can
36 question him on what is an indirect topic. You just have
37 to accept that.
38
39 MR. MORRIS: Just a few bits and pieces that arise out of your
40 statement, Mr. Nicholson.
41 A. Yes.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you want him to have his statement while
44 you ask?
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46 MR. MORRIS: You can if you want.
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48 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Perhaps it is best. Yellow tab.
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50 MR. MORRIS: Again, no particular order they are down, page 8.
51 We might as well note on paragraph 20 that supervisors,
52 operations managers, market managers and regional managers
53 with salaries going well beyond £50,000, currently exceeds
54 £75,000. So we can get that out of the way because every
55 time I ask a question about it he is a bit reluctant to
56 give their salaries. On top of that there will be benefits
57 and perks and things?
58 A. Yes.
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think all Mr. Morris is doing is bringing
