Day 151 - 10 Jul 95 - Page 34
1 fact that maybe the road was closed outside or something
2 had happened specifically in the restaurant, then I think
3 we would look for volunteers to go home early. In my
4 experience, some people quite regularly like to finish
5 early when it is only a one-off.
6
7 Q. If a store was understaffed, people would have to work on,
8 would not they?
9 A. What would generally happen, if the restaurant was
10 understaffed because of something that had not been
11 foreseen in the scheduling, then the manager would usually
12 phone people in, as I suggested here, to come and cover
13 that shift, or if somebody was sick; and that is another
14 reason why there was understaffing -- but to carry on for
15 I do not know how long it would be, 10 or 15 minutes
16 perhaps, until somebody came in, depending on the distance
17 they came.
18
19 Q. So in all the cases where Mr. Alimi worked over 39 hours,
20 it is because the system which you claim was in action,
21 which is phoning for other people to come in, was not
22 working?
23 A. No, I am not saying that at all.
24
25 Q. Each time he worked over 39 hours, it was a failure of the
26 system?
27 A. All I am suggesting -----
28
29 MR. ATKINSON: Sorry, my Lord, he must be allowed to answer the
30 question.
31
32 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have said before that a time comes with the
33 witness when you have established the facts you are looking
34 for. I do not mind you putting a suggestion to a witness,
35 but what I do not want it to do is degenerate into an
36 argument between you and the witness. You can say all
37 these things to me in due course.
38
39 MR. MORRIS: In both those cases of overstaffing or
40 understaffing, if you did not get the volunteers, the
41 manager had the right (and would exercise it) to send
42 people home or require people to stay on longer?
43 A. It is my understanding that in terms if that happened,
44 there were always plenty of people willing to come in and
45 work.
46
47 Q. And willing to go home?
48 A. Yes. I think it is only personal recollection, but if
49 I would be given the opportunity to finish a couple of
50 hours early, I would take it.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I would, too, provided I knew I was going to
53 get paid for the two hours. But what about people who are,
54 you know, saving for a holiday or trying to run a motorbike
55 or small car, or something like that, or just need the
56 money for whatever reason ---
57 A. As I mentioned earlier -----
58
59 Q. -- to pay their rent?
60 A. As I mentioned earlier on, we were asking for
