Day 173 - 16 Oct 95 - Page 44


     
     1        you wanted to deal with or get aired, or what have you?
     2        A.  No.  It was just a matter of course that we did it, you
     3        know, on a fairly regular basis.  Like I said, crew
     4        meetings were every two, two and a half months; rap
     5        sessions would average probably twice a year.
     6
     7   Q.   The crew meeting that is referred to in this document, that
     8        was scheduled as a result of the interest in trade unions,
     9        was it?
    10        A.  I cannot recall whether it was or was not.
    11
    12   Q.   It was about six days after the manager mentioned about
    13        rumblings of union activity and three days after the letter
    14        from the union.  You do not remember?
    15        A.  I do not remember.
    16
    17   Q.  "A crew meeting had been scheduled for 18th February and
    18        this took place, and the employee booklets were handed out
    19        to each person and some basic provisional things were gone
    20        over."
    21
    22        The employee booklets, would that be the crew Handbook?
    23        A.  Yes, it would be.
    24
    25   Q.   Would crew have received -- do they automatically receive
    26        them when they join the Company?
    27        A.  Yes.  They should have, yes.
    28
    29   Q.   So, you just wanted to refresh their memories about the way
    30        the Company was run, and rules and regulations?
    31        A.  Yes.  I would say in all probability that would be
    32        correct.  It was a new restaurant and, you know, it takes a
    33        while to ensure that everybody knows it was opening.
    34
    35   Q.   Just to go back to some basic -----
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL: I would like you to think about how much
    38        detail we need to go into about this.  At the end of its
    39        ruling (if that is the proper name for it), the Labour
    40        Court made recommendations; and what I really need to know
    41        is whether you are seeking to do better than the
    42        recommendations which they made, because, if you are not,
    43        you might simply ask Mr. Mehigan whether he accepted the
    44        good sense of the recommendations.
    45
    46        I have in mind in particular that according to the -- I do
    47        not know whether it is right to call it a ruling, I will
    48        call it a ruling -- according to the Labour Court ruling,
    49        Mr. Mehigan was taking the stand that he did not see why he
    50        should negotiate with the union unless a majority of crew 
    51        members wanted the union to represent their interests.  The 
    52        union was saying: "No, provided we have got members there, 
    53        we ought to be able to represent them"; and on that issue
    54        of principle the Labour Court came down on the union side;
    55        it said it could not see any harm in the union representing
    56        a minority of workers; if they achieved improvements in pay
    57        or conditions for their members, he assumes that the
    58        Company would award the same improvements to non-members.
    59
    60        You had an answer from Mr. Mehigan, in answer to a

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