Day 166 - 28 Sep 95 - Page 13
1
2 MS. STEEL: Sorry, I am actually finding it extremely difficult
3 to keep up.
4
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You have to use your judgment as to how much
6 of this is worth getting down.
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8 MS. STEEL: I feel actually there are some important parts that
9 have been said.
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11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Very well. Mr. Atkinson, I think you have to
12 consider which elaborations are really important and which
13 will be completely forgotten long before we come anywhere
14 (inaudible).
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16 MR. ATKINSON: Then if we go to paragraph (5), Mr. Atkinson, of
17 your statement -- I will read that out -- "Magill is
18 confused over the system of performance reviews that took
19 place. All employees received a performance review at the
20 end of their three week probationary period. Thereafter
21 performance reviews were held every two months. I recall
22 that at Magills' first performance review after the
23 probationary one he was given a 15p hourly rise. That was
24 because he was a good performer who was punctual and hard
25 working and it was felt by the managers, including myself,
26 that his performance merited such a rise.
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28 I think Magill must be mistaken in his recollection when he
29 says that he had performance reviews every couple of weeks
30 after this because, as I said above, these took place every
31 two months.
32
33 As far as Magill's comment about star system are concerned,
34 I do not agree that it was completely arbitrary. Stars are
35 awarded to crew who have achieved a high level of
36 competence on each of the five stations. It is correct
37 that written tests have to be done in order to obtain
38 stars.
39
40 In order to obtain a star on a particular station the crew
41 member has to past 2 OCLs by different managers and then
42 successfully pass the relevant test. However, these tests
43 were not compulsory, and if a crew member did not wish to
44 take the test, then that was a matter for them. All crew
45 members were, however, offered the opportunity.
46
47 Magill says that he was not interested in obtaining stars.
48 I assume, therefore, that he never took the written test
49 and that this was the reason he was not awarded any stars.
50 I do not agree that the star system was patronising, full
51 of hype and brain-washing. It is merely a further process
52 by which performance is encouraged, recognised and
53 rewarded".
54
55 Do you stand by those statements?
56 A. Yes.
57
58 Q. Then on paragraph (6): "Magill's allegation that the Wages
59 Council order was not pinned up on the notice board in the
60 crew room is untrue. It was permanently displayed behind a
