Day 180 - 31 Oct 95 - Page 37


     
     1        covered by the Wages Council protection.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  Can I ask you a question?  The 9.8 million of low
     4        paid, that you said -----
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Did you say 9.8?
     7        A.  9.8 approximately.
     8
     9   MR. MORRIS:  Where does catering come in that -- catering
    10        workers?
    11        A.  I do not have current figures on the number of catering
    12        employees below that figure.
    13
    14   Q.   But catering workers in general, as compared to other
    15        industries, what is your opinion in terms of pay levels?
    16        A.  Catering is one of those sectors which is recognised as
    17        being low paid.  High proportions of the workforce in the
    18        various segments of the catering industry are paid below
    19        this decency threshold figure.  One of the reasons why, in
    20        1946, the wages councils were established in the catering
    21        industry was because of low pay; and they were still
    22        needed, in my opinion, in August 1993 when the minimum
    23        wages were abolished.  It was significant that nearly half
    24        of the workforce covered by wages councils were catering
    25        workers, full- and part-time.
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can I ask another question?  When you say the
    28        average wage of men in manual jobs or in the Council of
    29        Europe's 68 per cent of average earnings, is that actual
    30        average earnings or on a basic week?
    31        A.  That is gross earnings, my Lord.
    32
    33   Q.   Yes.  So, if someone earns overtime and, before their
    34        earnings are thrown into the pile to work out the average,
    35        no deduction is made to bring them back to a 37 or 40 hour
    36        week, the whole of what they earn goes in?
    37        A.  Yes, that is right.
    38
    39   MR. MORRIS:  So these are actual take home -----
    40        A.  These are gross -----
    41
    42   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No. They are gross.
    43        A.  Gross pay.
    44
    45   MR. MORRIS:  Sorry.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL: They are what appears at the beginning of the
    48        payslip.
    49
    50   MR. MORRIS:  It is what you get on your payslip. 
    51        A.  They are the gross earnings, target much higher than 
    52        the Wages Council target. 
    53
    54   Q.   Now, you have said that the catering industry is recognised
    55        as a low paid industry, in general.  Have you heard of the
    56        Catering Review Group?
    57        A.  Yes, I have.
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS:  I believe we have a document here which has been
    60        looked at before.

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