Day 163 - 25 Sep 95 - Page 26
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2 MR. MORRIS: -- then that sort of, I think, covers it. I have a
3 feeling there is actually some more references. I will
4 have to check up. Just while we are on these pages, the
5 thing about on the second side, page 47, right at the
6 middle, the paragraph that starts: "At the hearing
7 executives of McDonald's Corporation", etc. "said they have
8 never terminated a franchised contract over child labour
9 law violations, even though there have been violations.
10 They cited constraints in current franchise laws and terms
11 of their franchised contracts". That actually is the very
12 last point, point No. 12, in our proposed amendments.
13 I must have another reference for this somewhere.
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15 The actual reference in there about "The Government's
16 approximate 1,000 labour investigators spent only about
17 four per cent of their efforts on the enforcement of child
18 labour laws" I cannot find at the moment, but I will check
19 that out. I will look through. I will come back to that.
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21 If we can then go on to billings? Sorry, no, the bit at
22 the bottom about "children being ineligible for workers'
23 compensation for the most part and have no right to sue for
24 injuries", on page 34 of the documents which is upside-down
25 for reasons best known to myself -- let me try to get this
26 right -- the second paragraph in that upside-down page,
27 this basically says ----
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29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Who is saying this?
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31 MR. MORRIS: I am trying to find this. This goes on from page
32 33 which everybody will be happy to know is also
33 upside-down -- wait a minute, I am not sure I have this
34 right. Yes. I can hardly read it because I have a staple
35 in it. This is a study by the National Workplace Safety
36 Institute, Report of the United Press International,
37 September 6th, 1992, a report entitled: "Sacrificing
38 America's Youth". There is a quote from that. It
39 concluded, which is over the page on 34: "Penalties are
40 seldom imposed for child labour law violations, even the
41 most serious infractions. Second", it said, "children are
42 ineligible for workers' compensation and in most cases have
43 no right to sue for injuries".
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45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Where are you going to get evidence of that
46 from McDonald's?
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48 MR. MORRIS: I suppose that is a matter of law really on
49 when -----
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51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You see, what it seems to me you are saying
52 at the moment is you say you have a reasonable prospect or
53 some prospect of getting evidence of this, but it is not
54 going to come from you, it is going to come from McDonald's
55 -- if it comes at all.
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57 MR. MORRIS: I think in this case this is one which is a matter
58 of law, presumably McDonald's know the law, but I do not
59 really know the laws.
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