Day 174 - 17 Oct 95 - Page 21
1 A. We were not. If you look at our communication of
2 21st November, we said: "However, if you have any proposal
3 to put to us in writing, we look forward to hearing from
4 you."
5
6 Q. But the union wanted to meet you; they wanted to represent
7 their members. They did not want to have a Mickey Mouse
8 correspondence through the post, did they?
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Where did it go? Here we have got unions
11 unhappy. What did they do, Mr. Morris? They have got the
12 Labour Court recommendations. They say that Mr. Mehigan's
13 company is not doing what it ought to do. Where did it go
14 next? It may be an important matter, because if McDonald's
15 is anti-union, I may have to decide whether that makes one
16 jot of difference to their workers' pay and conditions.
17 Here we have got a Labour Court which has said union
18 representation, so it may be interesting to see how it all
19 ended.
20
21 MR. MORRIS: We do not have the correspondence after that,
22 so -----
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why not ask the witness? If you have a
25 positive case to put to him about it, put it. If you want
26 to enquire of someone who is in the witness box and want
27 him to give his account, do so.
28
29 MR. MORRIS: What happened to this correspondence; after that
30 last correspondence that we have got there, 10th December,
31 what happened to that correspondence?
32 A. Sorry, what happened to which correspondence?
33
34 Q. What happened following that correspondence?
35 A. Is your question: was there more correspondence?
36
37 Q. Yes.
38 A. Not to my knowledge.
39
40 Q. Were there more phone calls?
41 A. I cannot recall any more phone calls.
42
43 Q. Did the Labour Court set up a conciliation hearing?
44 A. No, they did not. I remember I have written to the
45 Labour Court on 7th December, outlining again, OK, the
46 details of what we did; and, in actual fact, I would like
47 to quote from the letter: ".....that we have implemented
48 the National Understanding in terms which actually exceed
49 the National Understanding and which was accepted by our
50 entire staff."
51
52 Q. But it does not give any details, does it?
53 A. That is correct, Mr. Morris, it does not.
54
55 Q. All this correspondence was sent to Steve Copeland; yes?
56 A. Where he is shown to be copied, yes, it was.
57
58 Q. He was still taking a continuing interest in the union
59 dispute?
60 A. Well, he was -- as I indicated already, he was taking
