Day 122 - 05 May 95 - Page 28

     
     1        reason that in my role as Ombudsman I may be called upon to
     2        question them.
     3
     4   Q.   But you do not keep abreast of what the Company is saying,
     5        does that mean?
     6        A.  I get the memos and I read them through, but I cannot
     7        say that I am expert now on current Company personnel
     8        practices.  I do not think they have changed all that much,
     9        but the finer detail I cannot say that I know.  If I got
    10        cause to enquire into it, then of course I would comment
    11        upon it.
    12
    13   Q.   You were not aware, you said to Mr. Morris, in fact you
    14        said that the premium rate has not been scrapped?
    15        A.  I do not think it has -- well, perhaps it was wrong for
    16        me to say it had not.  I did not know if it has.
    17        I certainly -----
    18
    19   Q.   If we look at page 688, for example?
    20        A.  Yes.
    21
    22   Q.   It has the 11 p.m. to 7 p.m. column but the wages are all
    23        the same as the ones for 7 p.m..
    24        A.  Yes.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It looks as if it was being phased out, does
    27        it not?
    28        A.  It looks as though it might have been unless for some
    29        particular reason they did that for that year ---
    30
    31   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord -----
    32
    33   THE WITNESS:  -- but they have kept it in there as a column.
    34
    35   MR. RAMPTON:  No, no, I am being helpful.
    36
    37   MS. STEEL:  I do not need your help, thank you very much.
    38        (To the witness):  If we turn to tab 36 ---
    39        A.   Yes.
    40
    MR. RAMPTON:  You often do, I am afraid.
    42
    43   MS. STEEL:  -- you will find that there is no column, there is
    44        no separation between the evening and premium rates.
    45        A.  No, they have taken 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. but, you know,
    46        just as they have phased it out for some reason, they may
    47        very well have phased it back again.  I was not aware of
    48        it.  I am certainly not going to argue the point of what
    49        the situation is now.  As I say, I did not mean to mislead
    50        or disagree with ----- 
    51 
    52   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You said you were not aware? 
    53        A.  Yes.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:   In actual fact, if we look at the rates of pay for
    56        1992, June 1992, for 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., they do not appear
    57        to have gone up from 1991.  That is comparing pages 688
    58        with 691.
    59        A.  I cannot answer anything after my time.
    60