Day 134 - 13 Jun 95 - Page 35
1 A. I recognise that it is likely that if they are
2 unemployed they are looking for work.
3
4 Q. Do you recognise that people over 30 are less likely to
5 want a job that pays low pay, no guaranteed hours, hard
6 working conditions, would you accept that?
7 A. I think it probably depends on their circumstances, but
8 if they are people who have a need to work for guaranteed
9 hours that may be something that they would consider before
10 joining us. So it is possible that because we do not
11 recruit lots of full-time people that that may be why they
12 would not seek that sort of employment.
13
14 Q. They do not want to work for low wages, do they?
15 A. They do not want to work for low wages?
16
17 Q. No.
18 A. I think that is a characterisation that you are
19 making. We have discussed what our rates are and that ---
20
21 Q. Whether it applies to McDonald's or not is another
22 question.
23 A. -- they are competitive rates for the kind of work that
24 is done.
25
26 Q. Effectively, is it not the case, Ms. Mead, that McDonald's
27 takes advantage of those sections of society that have
28 little choice where they work?
29 A. No, I do not accept that at all.
30
31 Q. They exploit them?
32 A. No, I disagree with that. We offer training (and quite
33 valuable training) to people, young people, certainly, as
34 we have discussed, and we do not exploit or take advantage
35 of people. That is not to say we do not have managers
36 sometimes who do things wrong and who make mistakes, but it
37 is not the intention of the Company to do that. We have
38 many examples of people who have not been exploited --
39 quite the contrary.
40
41 Q. If we can move on to the so-called McDonald's Opinion
42 Survey, document H?
43 A. Yes.
44
45 Q. Could I ask one question before we go on to that? I am
46 sorry, just if we go back to D: There is nothing there
47 about people failing their probation, is there?
48 A. There is "unsatisfactory performance".
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: There is not one specifically which is
51 unsatisfactory performance during probation ---
52 A. No.
53
54 Q. -- rather than at any other time?
55
56 MR. MORRIS: That would cover that then?
57 A. Yes.
58
59 Q. So the reality is if that would automatically cover all
60 those that failed their probation, then less than four per
