Day 175 - 18 Oct 95 - Page 10

     
     1        well point to its rule book which forbids poor hygiene,
     2        et cetera, but the reality in the store is very different.
     3
     4        When government relaxed the rules regarding minimum levels
     5        of vitamins and minerals in bread, McDonald's buns changed
     6        almost the same week.  The new buns were more artificial
     7        and sponge-like.  One member of staff put a press cutting
     8        on the staff notice board about the government's new
     9        rules.  The Manager of the store, Sue, ripped the cutting
    10        down and tried to find out who had placed it there.  She
    11        was obviously very angry.
    12
    13        McDonald's used to claim that it cleared all environment/index.html">litter,
    14        regardless of origins, from the streets surrounding the
    15        store.  The reality was that all environment/index.html">litter was cleared from
    16        the front of the store and only environment/index.html">litter that originated from
    17        McDonald's from other areas.
    18
    19        The severity of the management team would constantly
    20        change, and a relaxed regime would be followed by a strict
         one.  This would enable managers to discipline or sack
    22        staff who were breaking minor rules which had not
    23        previously been enforced.
    24
    25        If a member of staff was sick, the staff schedule was often
    26        rewritten so that they were not 'meant' to be there on the
    27        relevant days and were, therefore, not entitled to sick
    28        pay.  In the strict regimes, staff felt very vulnerable
    29        about their jobs, seeing colleagues being sacked for minor
    30        offences.  The staffing levels were always kept to the
    31        absolute minimum to keep costs down.  Managers would
    32        compete to see who could run the lowest staffed shift and
    33        make the most money for the Company.
    34
    35        Whilst at Sutton, a number of other staff told me that all
    36        the staff at Croydon were sacked because they tried to
    37        unionise.  A few of the delivery drivers told me they had
    38         'sold' their union rights away but now regretted this as
    39        their conditions had worsened considerably.
    40
         A number of us felt that the low pay and bad working
    42        conditions were intolerable and that we should join the
    43        trade union.  This was discussed on the quiet as the
    44        Company's hostile attitude to unions was well known.
    45        Eventually, about 15 people were determined to join with
    46        the majority of the other staff waiting for us to set
    47        something up.  There were about five of us who were going
    48        to co-ordinate everything.  However, within two weeks of a
    49        decision being taken to proceed, I was the only one of this
    50        group remaining in employment.  The others had been sacked 
    51        for trivial reasons.  Though no-one ever actually confirmed 
    52        the union link, everyone believed it to be the case. 
    53
    54        During this period, staff were stopped from congregating
    55        and discussing anything to do with the job.  Managers
    56        became paranoid about discussions and would intervene to
    57        stop them.  'Rap sessions' were used to reinforce the idea
    58        that any grievance could be voiced, but these meetings were
    59        very intimidating and were used to pick on the most
    60        outspoken staff members and so warn others that they would