Day 302 - 18 Nov 96 - Page 15
1 McDonald's founder and chair had made a donation to the
2 controversial Nixon campaign, a quarter of a million
3 dollars, that was day 4, page 67, which was relevant
4 because we say it was part of a pattern of trying to
5 establish a sub minimum wage around that time so that
6 McDonald's might be able to pay less to their workers who
7 were already low paid.
8
9 We quoted from the Behind the Arches book, which had
10 admitted that the donation came around the very time that
11 McDonald's franchisees were lobbying to prevent an increase
12 in the minimum wage and to get the legislation which had
13 been dubbed the McDonald's bill passed to be able to pay
14 the sub minimum wage to some young workers. That was on
15 day 4, page 68 and day 124, page 29.
16
17 McDonald's, I can't remember the name of the chap they had
18 a witness statement from, about the contacts they had with
19 their official representative. It was either the Congress
20 or the House of Representatives. And I believe at the time
21 you made a comment such as that it certainly seemed like
22 they were taking up in a formal way and what we were saying
23 appeared to be true.
24
25 So, that again, although it was a long time ago, sets a
26 pattern where McDonald's, we would say, are not satisfied
27 with the small amount of protection that low paid workers
28 have under the law and they would like even less protection
29 to those workers to enable the company to exploit them even
30 more.
31
32 And that parallels with Mr. Nicholson's statement that he
33 was glad when the wage councils were abolished. Sorry, I
34 will get that right. I think he was glad when what
35 Mr. Rampton also called the thicket of provisions or
36 something ----
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, I remember what you said about that on
39 Friday.
40
41 MR. MORRIS: Yes, you know, which I think was a very cynical
42 thing to say, which was saying that the statutory
43 protection for young people was actually, you know, just to
44 get in the way of the company, it was better to simplify
45 things and just not have any protection whatsoever, or very
46 little.
47
48 Going on to young people, Mr. Beavers accepted that
49 McDonald's "depends for their profits on the labour of
50 young people". He accepted that and that of course is a
51 direct quote from the fact sheet. That was on day 4,
52 page 75, line 54.
53
54 I think he said.... And I am not sure if I have got the
55 figures right actually. I will just check. I am trying
56 not to go to the transcripts if I do not have to. I am not
57 sure whether he said three-quarters or two-thirds of their
58 employees in the States are under 21. It was not clear
59 when I put it to him. That was day 4, page 77, line 6.
60 And there is also a reference to day 124, page 13, lines 2
