Day 179 - 30 Oct 95 - Page 09


     
     1        remembers talking to you a few days ago.
     2
     3        (To the witness):  You had something to say to Mr. Morris
     4        about what happened after holiday periods?
     5        A.  Yes, my Lord.
     6
     7   Q.   Tell me about that.
     8        A.  After the holiday period, the store -- especially the
     9        summer holiday -- would go very quiet in comparison to the
    10        time when the children were off, and people would be
    11        failing their performance reviews, which they would not
    12        have normally failed, in order to cut the number of staff
    13        at the store.  They may be considered acceptable when the
    14        store was busy, but when it was quiet they would fail their
    15        performance reviews and not be kept on.
    16
    17   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  Pause there. (Pause)
    18
    19   MR. MORRIS:  What would be the result of that?
    20        A.  The lowering of the numbers of staff in the store.
    21
    22   Q.   What would happen to the individual?  It may be an obvious
    23        question.
    24        A.  They would lose their job.
    25
    26   Q.   Right.  Moving on to Milton Keynes, you said that you were
    27        badly treated and you left.  Can you say what the problems
    28        were, why you left Milton Keynes?
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just take it steadily, because I have to take
    31        a note of it.
    32        A.  Yes, my Lord.  Milton Keynes was a very busy store, and
    33        I started working there on the run up to Christmas.  I was
    34        expected to work six days a week, shifts of 12 hours or
    35        more; and the staff were also treated in the same sort of
    36        way.  It was difficult to tell someone -----
    37
    38   Q.    Just pause.  Yes?
    39        A.  I found it difficult to tell someone who had worked a
    40        seven hour shift that they could not go home at their
    41        scheduled time because the store was too busy, or they
    42        could not have a break; and quite often people would work
    43        their whole shift and longer without a break -- maybe a
    44        drink around the back office or a burger, or something like
    45        that.
    46
    47   MR. MORRIS:  Have you got the statement in front of you -- these
    48        notes in front of you?  I think we are entitled to read it.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No.  I am sorry.  Quite apart from anything 
    51        else, it is one thing if we have a statement made two years 
    52        ago which he signed himself -- I am really doing this in 
    53        your interests as much as anything, because if you just put
    54        a prompt in front of a witness it may detract from the
    55        weight of the evidence he then gives; whereas, if you
    56        follow the form we are following at the moment, I can see
    57        and hear the way Mr. Gibney gives his evidence.
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS:  (To the witness):  Regarding food practices at the
    60        Colchester store, and hygiene matters, have you anything to

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