Day 118 - 01 May 95 - Page 49
1 system?
2 A. Not familiar with it, no. I knew it was there but
3 I was not familiar with it.
4
5 Q. You were not sure of the situation on the ground because
6 you did not make so many visits?
7 A. I made a lot of visits.
8
9 Q. But you did not check?
10 A. I did not really go into time cards.
11
12 Q. So are the hours and the pay that the staff work on, the
13 personnel as you would probably call it, work, they were
14 not matters of much interest to you, really?
15 A. Yes, they were of interest.
16
17 Q. But if they were of interest why did you not familiarise
18 yourself -----
19
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Hold on a moment because I do not know how
21 much there is to be familiar with. 1986, it may be
22 different before 1986 and 1987, but was that when the swipe
23 cards were brought in?
24 A. I think from what Mr. Rampton has just read out, the
25 swipe cards came in in 1987, I think he said.
26
27 Q. What it seems to me at the moment -- it may be completely
28 wrong -- a system was brought in where they put swipe cards
29 through and you have a computer programme ---
30 A. Yes.
31
32 Q. -- which will work out everything which they have to be
33 paid?
34 A. Yes.
35
36 Q. You can also press a couple buttons on your computer and it
37 will give you a print out of what percentage of people work
38 what hours and everything else?
39 A. That is what produces this return that we have been
40 referring to.
41
42 Q. Unless you are a computer programmer the means does it is
43 probably an absolute mystery, thankfully, to virtually
44 everyone. But there may be a difference, might there not,
45 Mr. Morris -- you cannot expect everyone to be a computer
46 genius -- as long as it is produced in the print outs, that
47 is all you need to know.
48
49 MR. MORRIS: Yes. (To the witness): I was not referring to the
50 mechanical systems but the actual monitoring of staff?
51 A. Well, that is why I brought out this system so that
52 I could see at a glance what people were working around the
53 Company, as could all other senior operational people.
54
55 Q. At that time it was illegal for under 18s to work more than
56 48 hours, was it not?
57 A. That is why I have that highlighted page on the front
58 of the document.
59
60 Q. You failed to bring in a system that would actually
