Day 189 - 20 Nov 95 - Page 41
1 the training squad was a position of privilege.
2
3 After the management found out that I was a member of a
4 trade union, I was demoted from my responsible position in
5 the squad and put on to the most menial tasks. I was
6 wrongfully dismissed for an alleged breach of procedure in
7 changing my work schedule. This was just a pretext for
8 sacking me for my union activity and sympathies. I had
9 arranged for somebody to work a day for me when I was
10 unable to work, and for this I was dismissed without
11 warning.
12
13 The Manager had agreed verbally to my changing the work
14 schedule and this was the first time I had any such problem
15 while working for McDonald's. I complained about my
16 dismissal and this complaint was referred to the Rights
17 Commissioner who founded I had been wrongfully dismissed
18 and recommended that McDonald's pay me £600 in
19 compensation. McDonald's paid me this compensation.
20
21 At no time did this victimisation and harassment get
22 criticised or stopped by higher Company officials.
23 I considered the Company to be, in my experience, totally
24 anti-union. McDonald's required their staff to work long
25 hours often until the early hours of the morning. No
26 transport home is provided for staff even when working as
27 late as 3 a.m. having completed an eight to 10 hour shift.
28 This can be very frightening for female staff who are also
29 required to work these hours as McDonald's is an 'equal
30 opportunities employer'.
31
32 Amendments: Re. paragraph 2, the 'demotion' mentioned
33 above is a return to menial duties e.g. picking weeds in
34 the grounds surrounding the store, cleaning toilets,
35 etcetera.
36
37 Note, the matters of policy on working conditions to which
38 I refer in this statement can only be attributed to the
39 store in which I worked. I have no experience of other
40 stores in the McDonald's chain". That completes the
41 statement signed July 9th 1993.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, thank you. Does that complete the
44 evidence in relation to Dublin on both sides?
45
46 MR. MORRIS: It does, except for I can let the court know that
47 Thomas Caulfield has been traced and he is just going to
48 make a statement about what happened to him at the end of
49 the strike. If you remember, there were allegations that
50 he was dismissed for trade union activity.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What I suggest you do is you take a statement
53 from him, serve it on the other side, and I will decide
54 whether, if you have leave to introduce it, he is a witness
55 you would want to call into the witness box or ---
56
57 MR. MORRIS: We would not want to call him.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: -- you will have Civil Evidence Act grounds,
60 will you?
