Day 301 - 15 Nov 96 - Page 22

     
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     2   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   It is really up to the last few words of the
     3        paragraph, is it not?
     4
     5   MR. MORRIS:   "There is no need to employ chefs or qualified
     6        staff if anybody is prepared to work for low wages", yes.
     7        The point being that it is turning the tradition and the
     8        art of cooking, and even waiting, as in traditional
     9        restaurants, into something that is an industrial process,
    10        just like building a motor car, and there is no need to
    11        employ anyone who is qualified.  Just anyone prepared to
    12        work for low wages.
    13
    14        Then it says, "As there is no legally enforced minimum wage
    15        in Britain, McDonald's can pay what they like."  Well,
    16        there is not at the moment.  "Helping to depress wage
    17        levels in the catering trade still further."  We have heard
    18        -- well, we know -- that McDonald's wage levels have
    19        hardly crept up a few pence since the abolition of the
    20        Wages Council.  So whether that was true at the time the
         leaflet was written or allegedly distributed, whether there
    22        was a legally enforceable minimum wage in terms of
    23        catering, but certainly McDonald's have shown since the
    24        abolition of the minimum wage that the criticism implied
    25        there is obviously true.  Without a minimum wage the
    26        already low wages fail to keep pace with inflation.
    27
    28   MS. STEEL:   Can I say that I think at the time of the alleged
    29        distribution there was not a minimum wage for under
    30        eighteen year-olds.  Obviously, they were getting a much
    31        lower wage than the other workers.
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:   Yes, that is true.  We will come to that with
    34        Mr. Pearson anyway.
    35
    36   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
    37
    38   MR. MORRIS:   I mean, obviously the under eighteens got reduced
    39        wages at McDonald's, which is no doubt an incentive for
    40        McDonald's to hire them, for managers to hire them.  Then
         it goes on to say, this is another feature of the leaflet
    42        where the leaflet -- and I think this is an important
    43        point, I do not know if we have made it before.  The
    44        leaflet does occasionally put McDonald's point of view in
    45        many of the sections.  It is not reticent in putting over
    46        that that is what McDonald's say, they can judge for
    47        themselves which one is more accurate.
    48
    49        It says here, "They say they are providing jobs for school
    50        leavers and take them on regardless of sex or race."  The
    51        truth is McDonald's are only interested in recruiting cheap
    52        labour, which always means that disadvantaged groups, women
    53        and black people especially, are even more exploited by
    54        industry than they are already.  So it is not disagreeing
    55        with what McDonald's are saying, it is saying they are not
    56        telling you the whole truth.  Yes, they are taking on
    57        people regardless of sex or race.  The point is, they are
    58        taking on people who are willing to work, anyone who is
    59        willing to work, for low wages and poor conditions.  Not
    60        willing, but who have not got much choice.  That is a