Day 119 - 02 May 95 - Page 44


     
     1   MR. MORRIS:  That is being checked at the moment.
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Have it checked and come back to it if need
     4        be.
     5
     6   MR. MORRIS:  Apart from being top of the tree so far as any
     7        disciplinary -----
     8
     9   MR. RAMPTON:  I am on page 11 of day 116.  I was asking about
    10        his general remit and I said, perhaps under the same
    11        misapprehension as Mr. Morris evidently is: "What about
    12        contact, if any, with trade unions.  Was that something
    13        which fell within your remit? " Answer: "I was contacted
    14        once, I think, by a trade union.  It would come to me".
    15
    16   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, so that was something -----
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It was inconclusive, so if you want to
    19        discover what the position was ask now.
    20
    21   MR. MORRIS:  So, if there was anything to do with trade unions,
    22        would that have been your responsibility?
    23        A.  Yes, I think I would have probably got involved with
    24        it.  It could have been dealt with at local level.  I have
    25        no doubt they have had enquiries from trade unions at local
    26        level that I have never found out about.  I have never been
    27        informed about.  But if there was a serious approach from a
    28        trade union to us for any reason, I think that would
    29        obviously come to me, or I would certainly be involved.
    30        I am a bit concerned about this matter of discipline.
    31        I was not the final appeal in discipline. Anybody could go
    32        to Paul Preston.
    33
    34   MR. MORRIS:  OK, under Paul Preston you were top of the tree?
    35        A.  Yes, I was the sort final appeal, but either the Chief
    36        Operations officer or Paul Preston, himself, would be the
    37        final appeal.
    38
    39   Q.   I am just trying to find out what your job was, because you
    40        said that as far as working conditions you did not make any
    41        recommendations on that.  You said that as far as keeping
    42        an eye on minimum wage and Wage Council matters that did
    43        not spread to actually knowing anything about how many wage
    44        inspectors there are?
    45        A.  Well, I do not know how many wage inspectors.  You are
    46        getting the two things mixed up.  They are two separate
    47        things.  The wages inspectors would quite obviously have
    48        more recourse to go to store or to the Payroll Department.
    49
    50   Q.   If wages inspectors found something amiss in a local 
    51        store -- there are local authority inspectors as well, are 
    52        there?  How does it work, the wages inspectors system? 
    53
    54   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Who is the enforcement agency?
    55        A.  I have no idea, my Lord.  I was thinking about this
    56        last night, and I really have no idea.  My personal contact
    57        with wages inspectors was one meeting with the Chief Wages
    58        Inspector for our region.  I would not like to hazard a
    59        guess.
    60

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