Day 006 - 05 Jul 94 - Page 68


     
     1        restaurant manager does not have the power to set terms
              and conditions, raise contracts of employment or set wage
     2        rates themselves.  That is not within their brief.  It
              would be referred upwards.
     3
         Q.   Are you able to say whether that situation has ever arisen
     4        in Ireland and, if so, what happened or can you not help
              us on that one?
     5        A.  I can never recall something like that happening in
              Ireland, but I am not the person to ask.  I do not really
     6        know.
 
     7   MR. MORRIS:  But outside of discussing national conditions for
              staff, if a group of employees in a local branch had some
     8        kind of discontent and they wanted to talk to the manager
              as a group negotiation, or whatever, is that an instore
     9        matter?
              A.  The whole system of rap sessions conducted in a
    10        restaurant with members of staff is done locally.  Often
              times by impartial management people from another group,
    11        another store, who will listen to what has been talked
              about, conduct the interviews, rap, R-A P, "relating about
    12        people", that is what it stands for, but it would not be
              conducted by the manager or manageress themselves of that
    13        store.  It would be conducted by a separate group of
              people, then reported back upon.
    14
         Q.   You have said that it works from the bottom up, the
    15        company, yes, and if it is a safety thing, if people want
              to talk to the manager about some safety issues or
    16        whatever, this is something that is dealt with on a store
              level?
    17        A.  It would be raised there first most likely, and if
              manager could resolve it, if it was something within his
    18        parameters, the chances are they would do it.  If it was
              something he could not fix, he would refer it up to his
    19        boss and further up the hierarchy, I would imagine.
 
    20   Q.   It would go further up the hierarchy if it something
              serious?
    21        A.  Sometimes things minor.
 
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Are you on safety or just generally now?
 
    23   MR. MORRIS:  Generally at the moment.
 
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There may be very different considerations
              which relate to a union representative coming and talking
    25        about rates of pay and him coming and talking about
              someone who has burnt his hand. 
    26 
         MR. MORRIS:  Yes, I understand that.  I am trying to see -- say 
    27        on the discontent side or even just the employee side,
              what would have to be a serious situation that would mean
    28        that it would go beyond the manager?
              A.  I could not begin to guess.  You are asking me to be
    29        hypothetical.
 
    30   Q.   There must be discontent in McDonald's stores from time to
              time and rap session brings it out, you say?

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