Day 310 - 04 Dec 96 - Page 25
1 MR. RAMPTON: I just tell your Lordship this in passing,
2 because you asked what the figures were a little while
3 back: in that year, 1990, the number of service workers
4 employed by McDonald's was 87,246.
5
6 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Sorry?
7
8 MR. RAMPTON: In the United States. 87,246. That is by the
9 Company. Those, as I recall it, are figures which they
10 have to supply to the US Government.
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Thank you. Well, we will take our five
13 minute break there. When we come back, I have one or two
14 -- and they are literally one or two -- other general
15 matters to ask about. I would like to know whether both
16 sides feel that I can deal with the question of amendment
17 of the counterclaim this morning or today, or whether that
18 should be put over to whenever we resume, which looks as
19 if, subject to what you tell me about availability of other
20 submissions, may be Friday morning.
21
22 MR. RAMPTON: Yes.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Since it has just been raised, that probably
25 rather depends upon what you say. Obviously, the
26 Defendants are ready to make their application.
27
28 MR. RAMPTON: As I have understood it, this is just some
29 additional words.
30
31 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is the words which I suggested in the
32 Background Briefing did not appear in the counterclaim.
33
34 (Short Adjournment)
35
36 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, can I mention the remaining sections?
37 They will be ready by 1.30, but they might not get here by
38 one. I am not asking your Lordship to come back at two or
39 anything like that. May we have them transported to
40 your Lordship? I don't know if you will be here this
41 afternoon.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, I will be with you, but just as soon as
44 you can get them there.
45
46 MR. RAMPTON: We will send them to the Defendants at the same
47 time.
48
49 MR JUSTICE BELL: I have other work to do, so just whenever they
50 are ready.
51
52 MR. RAMPTON: Can I just say a couple more things about the
53 question of the low pay? Although inevitably
54 your Lordship will, as though you were a jury, take into
55 account as a factor one of the factors which determines the
56 level of pay being the level of unemployment in any country
57 at any particular time, there is actually no evidence about
58 that. There is a general proposition drawn from one's
59 knowledge of the world; one can say, yes, that is likely to
60 be a factor. But there is no evidence one way or the other
