Day 301 - 15 Nov 96 - Page 36

     
     1        and, as we have heard in this case, McDonald's, if you can
     2        just see their operations manual, how much planning and how
     3        little actual leeway there is to anybody in the system.
     4        That the conditions we have heard about in this case are
     5        the result of systemic problems, systemic inevitability,
     6        because of the need to make profit and, you know, very,
     7        very small margins are considered to be very important.
     8
     9        So, nothing I say should be taken as any kind of personal
    10        criticism of McDonald's witnesses, you know, outside of the
    11        kind of McDonald's set up.
    12
    13        Regarding the authoritarian management, obviously the
    14        management is authoritarian in terms of the company's
    15        obsession with control mechanisms at all levels, and the
    16        management obviously are the conduit for the policies,
    17        practices, procedures set down effectively in Chicago.  So
    18        that is the definition of authoritarian management, as far
    19        as I can see, that there is virtually nil autonomy at store
    20        level on anything important, and that the management have
         to impose targets and budgets and policies and practices
    22        and procedures that are all set down in the operations
    23        manual.
    24
    25        But, on top of that, there is something else, which is that
    26        McDonald's are a very careful company in trying to
    27        understand the psychology of those they exploit.  For
    28        example, young children, with their advertising, and
    29        customers, as we have seen, all kinds of surveys to try and
    30        tap into the psychology of people, and they do the same
    31        with their employees.
    32
    33        We questioned Mr. Nicholson about the McNews magazine,
    34        which is free to workers, which he agreed was given free to
    35        workers "to portray a kind of corporate identity to the
    36        crew".  That was day 119, page 24, line 3.  He said that
    37        all new crew people are shown an official McDonald's
    38        orientation video on their first day to "inject" a "family
    39        feeling".
    40
    MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Which day was that?
    42
    43   MR. MORRIS:   That was 119, page 19, line 23.
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   And the one before?
    46
    47   MR. MORRIS:   Day 119, page 24, line 3.  He denied this was
    48        brainwashing.  "If they do not like it, they do not need to
    49        stay."  And that was day 119, page 24, line 41.
    50
    51        The point is, people need jobs and there is not much around
    52        and, you know, they do not need to be brainwashed and sold
    53        the corporate goals.  You know, they want to come in and do
    54        their work and get their money and go home, with their own
    55        dignity and rights and, you know...  Yes, preferably a
    56        decent wage and all the other things that come with it,
    57        good conditions.
    58
    59        He said, crew people failing to have a positive "attitude"
    60        to "store success" and the personal "desire to progress"