Day 116 - 26 Apr 95 - Page 33


     
     1        rid of it for a nuisance value, what we call a nuisance
     2        value, a couple of hundred pounds or something, it makes
     3        all kind of commercial sense to pay the £200 and settle it
     4        and get rid of it.
     5
     6   Q.   Does this grievance procedure work in your experience?
     7        A.  Yes.
     8
     9   Q.   Is there an extent to which, therefore, it consists of
    10        resolution by the various people engaged at the various
    11        stages on the way up?  You have to say "yes" if you nod
    12        your head because you will not be heard by the tape?
    13        A.  I beg your pardon, I should know I have been sitting
    14        here.
    15
    16   Q.   There is a degree of resolution, is there?
    17        A.  There is a great deal of resolution, yes.
    18
    19   Q.   Roughly speaking, what proportion of these grievance
    20        procedure cases wind up in what one might call a standoff
    21        where neither side will give ground?
    22        A.  Very, very rare.
    23
    24   Q.   Trade unions, Mr. Nicholson:  The theme of the defence to
    25        this action on this part of the case is that McDonald's,
    26        I summarise, is implacably hostile to trade unions
    27        throughout the world (I am not going to ask you about any
    28        part of the world except the United Kingdom) and that as a
    29        subsidiary consequence of that implacable hostility anyone
    30        who joins or even expresses the wish to join a trade union
    31        will almost certainly be sacked.  You have read the
    32        pleadings in this case?
    33        A.  Yes, I have.
    34
    35   Q.   Can you comment upon that proposition, assuming I have
    36        summarised it correctly?
    37        A.  It is nonsense.
    38
    39   Q.   In your time as head of personnel and as Ombudsman of this
    40        company employing now some 31,000 or whatever it is people
    41        in this country, have there, as far as you are aware, been
    42        cases where people have been sacked for joining or wanting
    43        to join a trade union?
    44        A.  No.
    45
    46   Q.   Are you sure about that?
    47        A.  Emphatically.
    48
    49   Q.   What is the company's attitude towards unionisation of its
    50        work-force in its restaurants? 
    51        A.  We would prefer to deal with our staff ourselves.  We 
    52        do not particularly want to deal with a third party outside 
    53        organisation.  We are very, very much in support of
    54        performance-related pay: those who work well are paid
    55        well.  For that reason, we would rather not deal with trade
    56        unions.  But we have no objections to the members joining a
    57        trade union.  There must be many, many members of trade
    58        unions amongst our staff.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Could you just pause a moment.  One thing

Prev Next Index