Day 150 - 07 Jul 95 - Page 47


     
     1        give them a break during the rap session to come along or,
     2        if not, if they are unavailable voluntary or, sort of,
     3        voluntary or involuntary, then to speak to people who were
     4        going along to the rap session to make sure.
     5
     6   Q.   Do you consider that satisfactory notice was given of rap
     7        sessions?
     8        A.  Yes, I think generally we used to get it at least a
     9        month in advance because I would have to do my schedule at
    10        least a month in advance, and so to plan it all in they
    11        would -- if anything, it is probably even out every
    12        quarter, so everyone was given sufficient notice.  In fact,
    13        I would phone the restaurant as soon as the time came out
    14        to arrange, because it may say:  "A rap session is due in
    15        the month of", and then to tie down a specific date and
    16        time I would contact the restaurant.  So it was in my own
    17        interests as well to make sure it was well in advance.
    18
    19   Q.   You talked to some extent about the circumstances in which
    20        people were selected, or whatever, or selected themselves,
    21        or whatever, to go along?
    22        A.  Yes.
    23
    24   Q.   Was there any sort of management policy which said, "But
    25        certain people will be black listed; there are certain
    26        people who are not going to be allowed to come to rap
    27        sessions because they are trouble makers", or whatever,
    28        just for the sake of argument?
    29        A.  No.
    30
    31   Q.   Conversely, was there some sort of policy that said:
    32        "Those who are particularly obliging" -- whatever that
    33        means -- but "particularly obliging, they are the ones that
    34        must come along and anyone else must be excluded"?
    35        A.  No.  My experience is -- I mean, this is not a perfect
    36        world, so to speak, so people are always going to find
    37        things to say, perhaps in a critical format, "The managers
    38        need to buy more bun spatulas or, "They need to spend more
    39        on", and so there are some things that -- crew have said to
    40        me, "We need to have a sauna, for example, in the changing
    41        room".  So there are some sort of impractical thing which
    42        you cannot do.
    43
    44        I have had rap sessions with people of very outspoken
    45        views, but it is my job to try and rationalise those views
    46        and make sure they are the feelings of the restaurant to
    47        make it constructive.  Although it might start out
    48        negative, the idea is at the end of the day to find out
    49        what is behind it.  So, if anything, I would perhaps even
    50        be cynical if it was all lovely and rosy because, as 
    51        I mentioned, it is not perfect and people are always 
    52        finding things that they would like to say about it and 
    53        that is the opportunity.
    54
    55   Q.   I will just ask one question.  My Lord, I have almost
    56        finished.
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Finish rap sessions if you can and then
    59        I just want to ask one thing about the list on the Notice
    60        Board.  If you think you will go on for more than two or

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