Day 301 - 15 Nov 96 - Page 30

     
     1        policy, in fact, it shows it did not exist effectively,
     2        this policy, he said this showed that overtime was "rare".
     3        And that was day 118, page 30, line 45.
     4
     5        In fact, payroll records for one store indicated that 17
     6        percent were working over 39 hours.  I think this was the
     7        one we managed to get independently, the wage slips.
     8        I think one time Mr. Rampton wanted to know who gave it to
     9        us, because apparently it is commercially confidential
    10        information.  So anyway, that was on day 121, page 28, line
    11        51.
    12
    13        We also quoted that to Mr. Pearson.  He explained that the
    14        only possibility of increasing basic pay rates was to pass
    15        a performance review, where in order to get a 10 pence per
    16        hour rise you would have to get over 87 percent score.
    17        Mr. Pearson criticised this totally inadequate rises, but
    18        it is just common sense, really.  That would have been on
    19        day 118, page 33, line 1, and page 17, line 50.  But, I
    20        mean, we do not really need references.  We can just say
         that clearly they are very high scores needed for very low
    22        wage rises, which have no effect whatsoever on bringing
    23        McDonald's basic rates out of the low pay bracket, which,
    24        after all, is what we are talking about here.  Sometimes we
    25        have to step back and get some perspective on just what we
    26        are talking about.
    27
    28        Then despite being in charge of UK personnel policy for
    29        seven years, he claimed he did not know the reason the
    30        company was opposed to staff working over 39 hours per
    31        week.  This was on day 118, line, page 66, line 38
    32        onwards.
    33
    34        I have not got a note on this, but I think he said it
    35        actually emanated from the States, showing, we believe, how
    36        the US corporation effectively controls the policy on
    37        practices in McDonald's stores worldwide, and even their
    38        head of personnel in the UK does not know the reason why
    39        his company is having certain policies.
    40
         He then said, when we showed how it was a completely -- the
    42        policy was breached so often it was rendered irrelevant, he
    43        said "it is only policy".  And that is day 121, page 23,
    44        line 55.  And this, we think, is a very significant
    45        admission about how the company views their policies which
    46        they would like to pray in aid in their public
    47        pronouncements, but when it comes down to it, here we have
    48        a policy which is clearly to protect the interests of
    49        people working long hours in a kitchen environment and not
    50        only does he not know the reason for the policy, but then
    51        it can be completely disregarded whenever it suits
    52        managers, which of course in McDonald's is all the time.
    53
    54        Then Mr. Nicholson said he did not know why they have a
    55        fortnightly payment and monitoring system.  That was day
    56        118, page 52, line 54.  Which is pretty incredible.  Again
    57        it is something that emanates from the States and we would
    58        therefore say, if he does not know, we are left with the
    59        only conceivable reason, which we would say, the only
    60        conceivable reason that there could be, we would say, is