Day 155 - 14 Jul 95 - Page 64
1 then say so, but if you can give me some idea it might be
2 helpful?
3 A. I really could not tell you at all.
4
5 Q. Very well.
6
7 MR. MORRIS: I think we have to bear in mind at this time as far
8 as I remember a differential would be eroded every time
9 there was a national pay increase.
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: One way or the other it was just in case
12 Mr. Giardina could remember because, so far as the UK is
13 concerned, for all the arguments which have been going
14 backwards and forwards about increases, I have got no
15 feeling in my mind and, in fact, Mr. Nicholson told me he
16 could not tell me what the average crew wage was at any
17 given moment in time, and that is why I asked Mr. Giardina
18 in case he could help.
19
20 If you have any of your witnesses who are actually going to
21 come here who worked with McDonald's for a significant
22 period of time, that is did not leave, say, within three
23 months or six months, and they can actually remember what
24 they were earning when the starting rate was such and such,
25 it might be helpful for you to find out but when you do
26 find out give notice of it to Barlows before the witness is
27 called into the witness box. It may be there already and
28 I have not remembered it.
29
30 You do not have to adduce the evidence, even if you get it,
31 unless you think it is helpful to the case. But if by one
32 route or another it is available to you, and you think it
33 helps, for instance, you can find someone who was there for
34 18 months and had worked they say quite well and was still
35 getting œ2.35 when the basic was œ2.20, then that is the
36 sort of thing we ought to be looking for.
37
38 MR. MORRIS: If it is any help, as far as he are concerned, Mr.
39 Alimi will be a perfect case because we have his wage
40 slips. He was meant to be an excellent and happy worker in
41 the training squad and, as far as I know, he got hardly any
42 pay rise whatsoever. We can check that.
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You can check, if you wish, with some of the
45 others, and particularly you can check, if you wish, with
46 some of the others whose credit may not be in issue, in
47 other words, they are going to give evidence on a point
48 where the accuracy of their recollection may not may be
49 challenged but not necessarily their credit rate. For all
50 I know, Mr. Alimi's credit may be.
51
52 MR. MORRIS: Except that we have his wage slips so we are not
53 relying on recollection.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is quite right.
56
57 MR. MORRIS: Also we have a perfectly glowing report from his
58 Manager.
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is quite a good point.
