Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 14
1 which are obtainable at McDonald's helps to depress the
2 wages overall in the catering sector of industry?
3 A. Not at all. If I might just make a brief comment on
4 that? If you take a look at catering contracts in the US,
5 and you look for the level of skill that we would have, you
6 will find that our workers are paid at least that level.
7 They do it by classifications, my Lord, in the US, that
8 they would be at least at that level or beyond.
9
10 Q. Then it goes on: "They", that is McDonald's -----
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: When you say "catering contracts", what do
13 you mean by that?
14 A. There would be contracts, say, with restaurants,
15 full-scale restaurants, where they would have all the way
16 there from chefs down to general workers those kinds of
17 contracts.
18
19 Q. But who is the contract between?
20 A. Between the employer and the union.
21
22 MR. RAMPTON: It goes on, does this so-called fact sheet,
23 Mr. Stein: "They", that is McDonald's, "say they are
24 providing jobs for school leavers and take them on
25 regardless of sex or race." Pause there, please,
26 Mr. Stein. If McDonald's do say that, which they have said
27 at any rate in this court through you, amongst others, is
28 that a true statement or not? Do you provide jobs for
29 school leavers?
30 A. Yes, among others, sure.
31
32 Q. Do you take them on regardless of sex or race?
33 A. Absolutely.
34
35 Q. Then it goes on, this piece of paper: "The truth is
36 McDonald's are only interested in recruiting cheap labour."
37 True or false?
38 A. False.
39
40 Q. "which always means that disadvantaged groups, women and
41 black people especially, are even more exploited by
42 industry than they are already". So far as McDonald's is
43 concerned, Mr. Stein, true or false?
44 A. False.
45
46 Q. Thank you. If you would not mind removing that document
47 from in front of you and put it somewhere else for the
48 moment.
49
50 One matter in passing that I would like to ask you about
51 before I ask you to look at another document, is this:
52 There has been mention made in this court by indirect means
53 of something described as Mr. John Cook's Flying Squad; the
54 assertion being that this was some kind of hit squad that
55 whizzed out to where there was a trouble spot in relation
56 to trade unions and stamped it out. Would you like to
57 comment on that?
58 A. Sure.
59
60 Q. First of all, do you know Mr. John Cook?
