Day 175 - 18 Oct 95 - Page 45


     
     1        A.  One was full-time, Mark James was full-time and James
     2        Ray was part-time.
     3
     4   Q.   In the period of that trade union interest, which you have
     5        told us about, were you a member of the training squad?
     6        A.  I was.
     7
     8   Q.   That was in 1986?
     9        A.  That is right.
    10
    11   Q.   Thank you.  The next paragraph, Mr. Whittle:  "The
    12        atmosphere in the store was very different to that
    13        presented to me at my interview.  Individual staff or crew
    14        members were encouraged to be management sneaks."
    15
    16        I want to pause there.  You gave an example later on --
    17        I think there is some kind of a note that we were given at
    18        lunch time and then you spoke about it from the witness box
    19         -- that a friend of a Manager, the friend being called
    20        Lynn, was made a lobby hostess.  That was an example of
    21        somebody being rewarded, was it, with favours?
    22        A.  That is right.
    23
    24   Q.   Tell me this:  What was the name of the Manager whose
    25        friend was this?
    26        A.  Sue, the Store Manager.
    27
    28   Q.   So Lynn was a friend of Sue; is that right?
    29        A.  Yes, that is right.
    30
    31   Q.   What was the information that Sue was so grateful to get
    32        that she promoted Lynn to be lobby hostess?
    33        A.  I would not have been party to that, but I think ----
    34
    35   Q.   How do you -- sorry.
    36        A.  I think the relationship was what the reward was for.
    37
    38   Q.   No, I am sorry, Mr. Whittle, I thought that that was an
    39        example of a person being rewarded for being a management
    40        sneak.  It is your own word.  You wrote it.
    41        A.  It was an example of it, but I think someone who is a
    42        sneak is someone who constantly informs on the people
    43        around them to someone else and what individual bits of
    44        information were I would not know, but I was aware of it
    45        taking place and I saw the discussions taking place.
    46
    47   Q.   How do you know what information was imparted during those
    48        discussions if you did not hear them?
    49        A.  Because of the atmosphere in the store and the way that
    50        the dynamic changed in the store depending on what was 
    51        being discussed with whom and in what manner. 
    52 
    53   Q.   I want you to be careful about this, Mr. Whittle, you see,
    54        because, as his Lordship -- you are not a lawyer -- but as
    55        his Lordship indicated to you earlier, what other people
    56        have told you is not evidence; do you understand that?
    57        A.  I do understand that.
    58
    59   Q.   Rumour, tittle tattle, gossip, opinion and speculation do
    60        not pass for hard fact; do you understand that?

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