Day 118 - 01 May 95 - Page 07

     
     1        A.  "Year to date".
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:  The wages that you set at McDonald's, the starting
     4        rates of pay, are consistently either exactly the same as
     5        the minimum rates of pay set by the Wages Council or just a
     6        few pence over them, are they not?
     7        A.  For the provinces.
     8
     9   Q.   The enhanced rates for Outer and Inner London are because
    10        of recruiting difficulties, you said?
    11        A.  Partly because of recruiting difficulty, also because
    12        things are generally more expensive in the London region.
    13
    14   Q.   So you could not actually pay any lower wages without
    15        falling foul of the law?
    16        A.  To people under -- over 21 years of age, that is right.
    17
    18   Q.   When wages were set for people under 21 it was also the
    19        case that you paid at the minimum or maybe one or two pence
    20        above for them as well?
         A.  As a starting wage.
    22
    23   Q.   Sorry?
    24        A.  As a starting wage.
    25
    26   Q.   Turnover at McDonald's is high, is it not?
    27        A.  No, I do not think so -- not for the industry.
    28
    29   Q.   How long on average do the workers stay?
    30        A.  We are talking about hourly paid workers?
    31
    32   Q.   Yes.
    33        A.  I think turnover now, although I am not absolutely
    34        sure, is down around about 112 (sic) per cent which would
    35        indicate that you get a turnover of the total crew in one
    36        year.
    37
    38   Q.   The turnover used to be much higher than that, did it not?
    39        A.  I think the highest, I think the highest I have ever
    40        known it whilst I was in Personnel, was about 182.  I think
         that is the highest I have ever known it.
    42
    43   Q.   When was that?
    44        A.  Well, that would be when I took over, late 1984.  It
    45        has been going down ever since.
    46
    47   Q.   How does the company keep a check on turnover?
    48        A.  It is recorded annually off the computer.
    49
    50   Q.   What records does the company keep of that? 
    51        A.  When you say "keep", what do you mean by that?  How 
    52        long do we keep them? 
    53
    54   Q.   How does it come off the computer?
    55        A.  On a printer.
    56
    57   Q.   Yes, but how does the computer work out?
    58        A.  I have no idea.  I am not a computer man.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There is someone else who deals with this?