Day 151 - 10 Jul 95 - Page 67
1 Q. Why would they come to your notice?
2 A. They did not come to my notice
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. The point is you offered a view that if
5 there had been talk it would get back to you. That is the
6 effect of it, I suggest.
7 A. Right. In that case I would like to think if there was
8 a grass roots underlying trade union activity required that
9 I would either hear that myself from members of staff or it
10 would come back from the Operations hierarchy at some
11 stage, because if we are supposed to be, or I am in a
12 position of in fear of any trade union, then certainly
13 someone would have told me. They have not, and we are not.
14
15 Q. If you are entirely relaxed about whether there is
16 unionisation or not, then it might be talked about from
17 time to time but you would not expect it to get back to you
18 because who cares anyway?
19 A. That is another view certainly, yes.
20
21 Q. If it is a matter of very great concern, what you are
22 saying is if, as the Defendants suggest, it is a matter of
23 great concern to McDonald's if there is any move towards
24 unionisation, you are saying you would expect to get back
25 to you if there is any serious talk about it. Is that
26 really what you are saying?
27 A. Based on the Defendants' argument, certainly. My
28 perspective, though, is your former observation.
29
30 MR. MORRIS: The reason you would expect it to get back to you
31 is because you would want to stand point it as soon as
32 possible, would you not?
33 A. No, it has never come up in conversation.
34
35 Q. You would not expect to hear about any people's comments
36 about the Church of England to get back to you, would you?
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It has to relate to employment, although the
39 Church of England may now and again have union activity,
40 more obviously, would it not? I cannot forget that one of
41 your own witnesses, who (for all I know) will turn out to
42 be impressive and particularly well versed in these matters
43 so that he has real problems with trying to enlist catering
44 workers in his union because they just are not interested
45 for a variety of reasons he gives. That is an over
46 simplification, but that might be the gist of his view.
47
48 MR. MORRIS: It does not help if the Company has a policy of no
49 overt union activity allowed in their stores.
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We will see.
52
53 MR. MORRIS: Which, of course, one of their own witnesses has
54 said. The RAP sessions - you say you have done a lot of
55 RAP sessions and you have read notes of a lot of RAP
56 sessions, yes?
57 A. I have probably, as an area supervisor, completed a
58 fair few number of RAP sessions myself and, as I have
59 worked my way up the hierarchy, probably read a high number
60 as well from those restaurants under my direct
