Day 134 - 13 Jun 95 - Page 50


     
     1        the family on their own and so on, but if you mean that if
     2        people have to have responsibility for child care and
     3        working as well, and the difficulties that can present,
     4        then certainly I accept that that is so, for parents to
     5        find ways to work and earn an income as well -- to look
     6        after the children and earn an income.
     7
     8   Q.   In the London Greenpeace fact sheet we say:  "Disadvantaged
     9        groups, women and black people especially, are even more
    10        exploited by industry than they are already."   I would put
    11        it to you that part of the exploitation of women is the
    12        very low income that most women have and their
    13        responsibility for having children, and that is something
    14        that McDonald's takes advantage of in recruiting from those
    15        people?
    16        A.  I do not accept that because the other side of that
    17        would be to say that:  "Well, we specifically should not
    18        recruit those people because we would be doing something
    19        wrong by doing that".  So, if those people want to go out
    20        to work, why should we not be able to offer them
    21        employment?
    22
    23   Q.   Why should you not be able to offer them decent money
    24        instead of the wages that you do pay?
    25        A.  The rates -- I am sure we will never agree on the
    26        rates, but certainly we offer women the same rates of pay
    27        as we offer men which, as you will see and I dare say you
    28        will see in more detail when you peruse the survey, it is
    29        amazing to me that those two figures can be so different
    30        between females' and males' earnings but that is so in
    31        McDonald's.
    32
    33   Q.   Yes, but McDonald's wages are still below the average
    34        women's earnings in whatever the criteria was, it was still
    35        bottom?
    36        A.  I think, well, if you want to ask me a question
    37        to  ----
    38
    39   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Could I ask you again about the question of
    40        the number of women with children who might be employed
    41        with McDonald's?  I can see that the Manager will get to
    42        know, or may very well get to know, whether a woman has
    43        children just in general conversation, or if a woman
    44        applies for a job, whether or not the Manager asks any
    45        question about her family setup, she may volunteer why she
    46        has come to McDonald's.  That may involve revealing the
    47        fact she has children.
    48
    49        I think I am entitled to assume that women with children or
    50        other domestic obligations which tie them down rather might 
    51        be more inclined to look for part-time work than full-time 
    52        work.  It will not necessarily follow but there will be a 
    53        number of women who, for one reason or another, which may
    54        include domestic obligations, will be looking for part-time
    55        work.
    56
    57        So, it would not surprise me if McDonald's employs a number
    58        of women with young children.  But, apart from those two
    59        factors, what the Manager gets to know and the inherent
    60        probability of the matter, as I understand it, there is no

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