Day 195 - 04 Dec 95 - Page 14


     
     1
     2        When I working last winter in the extremely cold weather
     3        conditions, the working temperature indoors was measured by
     4        the staff and was shown to be six degrees centigrade inside
     5        the grill area.  So for as I am aware, the law requires
     6        that the temperature should be a minimum of 16 degrees
     7        centigrade.  It was impossible to work in these
     8        conditions.  Members of staff were complaining about the
     9        problem and, by way of answer, were given a T-shirt to wear
    10        underneath their clothing.
    11
    12        I and several other crew members tried to organise a staff
    13        walk-out because it was so unpleasant to work in these
    14        conditions.  This was not successful.  Afterwards, the ring
    15        leaders of this little revolt were penalised for their
    16        activities.  We were given warnings regarding our
    17        behaviour, shouted at and generally given bad jobs, e.g.
    18        clean the toilets."   Who was it that gave you the
    19        warnings?
    20        A.  I do not remember exactly who it was, but it could very
    21        well have been Trudie Jones.
    22
    23   Q.   "Life was made unpleasant for us.  I was only in the store
    24        one day out of several in which these temperature
    25        conditions prevailed; this was because I was on holiday the
    26        rest of time.  However, even that one day of work was so
    27        unpleasant that I had to try to do something about it.  The
    28        reason for this temperature problem was that the air
    29        conditioning was faulty in the store.  Management refused
    30        to repair it.
    31
    32        I was generally not pushed around at the store as much as
    33        other staff.  I made it quite clear from early on that
    34        I knew my rights and was not at all interested in
    35        promotion.  Partly due to my personal friendly relations
    36        with certain Managers and Floor Managers and partly because
    37        of my knowledge about my rights, I generally got on well
    38        with Deputy Managers and was not picked on as often as the
    39        others and generally was not given much cause to complain".
    40        A.  Can I correct the last sentence which is inaccurate?
    41        It should really read:  "... not given as much cause to
    42        complain", not "much cause".
    43
    44   Q.   As other crew members, you mean?
    45        A.  As other crew members, that is right.
    46
    47   Q.   You signed this statement and it is dated 25th March 1988.
    48        Apart from the corrections that you have made this morning,
    49        do you stand by what is written there as the truth of your
    50        experience as working at McDonald's? 
    51        A.  Absolutely, yes. 
    52 
    53   Q.   There is then a continuation statement of Siamak Alimi.
    54        Can you just tell us, do you know how this was made or how
    55        this came about?
    56        A.  I do not remember the exact circumstances, but I think
    57        when I made the statement -- I made this statement to
    58        different lawyers, solicitors.
    59
    60   Q.   To the first statement?

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