Day 310 - 04 Dec 96 - Page 08

     
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     2   MR. RAMPTON:   The first two are run together in N, and the last
     3        is found separately in P.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Why are young people not referred to,
     6        though?
     7
     8   MR. RAMPTON:   I do not honestly know.  I suppose because they
     9        are not disadvantaged.
    10
    11   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Well, I do not know.
    12
    13   MR. RAMPTON:   They are disadvantaged to the extent that they
    14        are paid bad wages and given bad working conditions.
    15        Beyond that, though, it might be said, well, they are not
    16        obviously disadvantaged in society as a class at large.
    17        I do not know that one would say that women nowadays were
    18        seriously disadvantaged as they once were.
    19
    20   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I can see someone putting forward a powerful
         argument in which you ask:  Which three very broad sectors
    22        of society are at a disadvantage on the labour market?
    23        Some people would say women.  A lot of people would say
    24        people from ethnic minorities, and quite a lot of people
    25        might say youngsters leaving school and trying to find
    26        work.
    27
    28   MR. RAMPTON:   In certain areas of the country, yes.
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I do not know -- in the whole of the United
    31        Kingdom; might they not?
    32
    33   MR. RAMPTON:   One's anecdotal experience would support
    34        your Lordship's view.  There is no doubt about that.
    35
    36   MS. STEEL:   Can I ask a legal question?
    37
    38   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    39
    40   MS. STEEL:   One of the three stings that you said is -- I think
         you said something about sacking pro-union workers?
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    44
    45   MS. STEEL:   It is just that, bearing in mind that the word
    46        'sacking' is not used either in the leaflet or in the
    47        Statement of Claim, the words 'getting rid of', which
    48        obviously encompasses more than just sacking -----
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is used.  It is used at the bottom of the 
    51        left-hand column. 
    52 
    53   MS. STEEL:   But in terms of what McDonald's actually do.  That
    54        is about whether people are wary of being sacked by the
    55        catering industry in general.
    56
    57   MR. JUSTICE BELL:    Yes, as many have been for attempting union
    58        organisation, all under a headline of "What is it like
    59        working for McDonald's?"
    60