Day 302 - 18 Nov 96 - Page 15


     
     1        McDonald's founder and chair had made a donation to the
     2        controversial Nixon campaign, a quarter of a million
     3        dollars, that was day 4, page 67, which was relevant
     4        because we say it was part of a pattern of trying to
     5        establish a sub minimum wage around that time so that
     6        McDonald's might be able to pay less to their workers who
     7        were already low paid.
     8
     9        We quoted from the Behind the Arches book, which had
    10        admitted that the donation came around the very time that
    11        McDonald's franchisees were lobbying to prevent an increase
    12        in the minimum wage and to get the legislation which had
    13        been dubbed the McDonald's bill passed to be able to pay
    14        the sub minimum wage to some young workers.  That was on
    15        day 4, page 68 and day 124, page 29.
    16
    17        McDonald's, I can't remember the name of the chap they had
    18        a witness statement from, about the contacts they had with
    19        their official representative.  It was either the Congress
    20        or the House of Representatives.  And I believe at the time
    21        you made a comment such as that it certainly seemed like
    22        they were taking up in a formal way and what we were saying
    23        appeared to be true.
    24
    25        So, that again, although it was a long time ago, sets a
    26        pattern where McDonald's, we would say, are not satisfied
    27        with the small amount of protection that low paid workers
    28        have under the law and they would like even less protection
    29        to those workers to enable the company to exploit them even
    30        more.
    31
    32        And that parallels with Mr. Nicholson's statement that he
    33        was glad when the wage councils were abolished.  Sorry, I
    34        will get that right.  I think he was glad when what
    35        Mr. Rampton also called the thicket of provisions or
    36        something ----
    37
    38   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes, I remember what you said about that on
    39        Friday.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:   Yes, you know, which I think was a very cynical
    42        thing to say, which was saying that the statutory
    43        protection for young people was actually, you know, just to
    44        get in the way of the company, it was better to simplify
    45        things and just not have any protection whatsoever, or very
    46        little.
    47
    48        Going on to young people, Mr. Beavers accepted that
    49        McDonald's "depends for their profits on the labour of
    50        young people".  He accepted that and that of course is a
    51        direct quote from the fact sheet.  That was on day 4,
    52        page 75, line 54.
    53
    54        I think he said....  And I am not sure if I have got the
    55        figures right actually.  I will just check.  I am trying
    56        not to go to the transcripts if I do not have to.  I am not
    57        sure whether he said three-quarters or two-thirds of their
    58        employees in the States are under 21.  It was not clear
    59        when I put it to him.  That was day 4, page 77, line 6.
    60        And there is also a reference to day 124, page 13, lines 2

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