Day 179 - 30 Oct 95 - Page 21
1 MR. MORRIS: Give us an example of the kind of things that you
2 discussed at those meetings regarding some of the
3 criticisms that you have made?
4 A. I remember one particular meeting when we were told to
5 start watering down, surreptitiously watering down, the mix
6 in the back of the shake machine during the busy periods,
7 add water to the tanks of drink syrups.
8
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
10
11 MR. MORRIS: So you said in your statement these targets were
12 set by management above store level. This is the general
13 targets for the store?
14 A. That is right.
15
16 Q. But the management meeting actually discussed how these
17 were going to be achieved or ---
18 A. Improved upon.
19
20 Q. -- improved upon? For example, you mentioned also these
21 people at the end of holidays being deliberately failed
22 their performance reviews to dismiss them; is that
23 something that would be discussed? I am giving it as an
24 example. All I want to get at is was everything discussed
25 or was it just -----
26 A. Staff levels would be a matter of discussion, yes.
27
28 Q. Moving onto the watering down matters: You have said
29 watering down drink syrups, ketchup, mustard, milk shake
30 mix, using less lettuce and cutting the cheese slices --
31 I think the lettuce and the cheese slices are pretty clear
32 -- the milk shake, can you just explain what you mean?
33 I mean, it has been denied by Mark Davis or McDonald's
34 witnesses in any event. He said it was impossible or
35 something -- I cannot remember exactly -- but, effectively,
36 it could not happen.
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am going to rise for five minutes now. If
39 you want to put something specific which Mr. Davis said, do
40 put it to the witness. But, quite frankly, I have
41 Mr. Gibney's evidence now. What I do not want you to do is
42 take court time just going through each item and, in
43 effect, saying because, however you phrase the question,
44 unless you put something specific: "Mr. Davis said this"
45 -- this is what, in effect, you are doing, "do you want to
46 say anything more about that?" because I am not giving you
47 leave to do that. I have got Mr. Gibney's evidence,
48 positive and -----
49
50 MR. MORRIS: It is up to Mr. Rampton if he wants to challenge
51 it, he has to do it.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, let us have our five minutes.
54
55 (Short adjournment)
56
57 MR. MORRIS: I think we will leave the matter of the food,
58 watering down food, for Mr. Rampton to deal with.
59 (To the witness): Moving onto the McDonald's Freedom
60 Fighters, what time of year did this happen -- sorry, you
