Day 195 - 04 Dec 95 - Page 05


     
     1        non-management position.  I am currently a full-time
     2        postgraduate student at Berkbeck College, London
     3        University.
     4
     5        I had no connection with Steve Percy ('SP') and Harriet
     6        Lamb ('HL') prior to publication of the TICL booklet".
     7        That is the Transnational Information Centre?
     8        A.  London.
     9
    10   Q.   London; is that right?
    11        A.  That is right.
    12
    13   Q.   "When I read The Guardian article, I got in touch with TICL
    14        to obtain a copy of the booklet.  I also asked to be put in
    15        touch with the two people who wrote the article and the
    16        booklet because I was looking to write a follow up
    17        article.  I wanted to expand on the story because I thought
    18        that, whilst everything that SP and HL had said was
    19        correct, they had left a lot of issues incomplete". When
    20        you said you wanted to expand on the story, was that The
    21        Guardian article or the booklet?
    22        A.  I think at the time I must have had the booklet in
    23        mind.
    24
    25   Q.   OK.  "For example, I think there is a lot more that can be
    26        said about McDonald's attitude to Trade Unions, although
    27        more research would have to be done to get the facts
    28        together.  I also think that breaches of labour laws
    29        warranted further attention, e.g. examples of girls under
    30        the age of 18 being kept past 10 o'clock at night in
    31        McDonald's stores.
    32
    33        Whilst working at the Colchester store, I was told by the
    34        Managers (particularly the Floor Manager, Simon Gibney)
    35        that if anyone joined a union or even seriously considered
    36        joining a union, they would be sacked.  However, I was told
    37        that the management would not attribute the sackings to
    38        trade union activities.  A different reason would be given
    39        or the management would simply make life unpleasant so that
    40        the crew member left.  I do not want Simon Gibney to be
    41        named at all in these proceedings since, so far as I am
    42        aware, Simon Gibney still works at McDonalds and I have no
    43        doubt that McDonald's will attack him.  Simon Gibney would
    44        not be prepared to give evidence against McDonald's in
    45        court - he is very committed to his career at McDonald's.
    46
    47        One employee, Paul Jackson, was sacked because he was known
    48        to want to form a union amongst the crew members.  He was
    49        also said to be a communist but I am not entirely convinced
    50        that this latter point is correct.  Paul Jackson was sacked 
    51        for 'gross misconduct'.  I have not seen Paul Jackson since 
    52        he was dismissed from the store.  I was told by Simon 
    53        Gibney, whom I believe to be 100 per cent reliable in this
    54        case, that Jackson was dismissed because of his
    55        anti-management activities.
    56
    57        During one conversation I had with Simon Gibney he referred
    58        to Jackson as being a member of the MFF - the McDonald's
    59        Freedom Fighters.  I was not entirely sure whether the
    60        organisation referred to was a genuine organisation to

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