Day 123 - 09 May 95 - Page 07
1 has been used in America? I am not saying you agree with
2 it, obviously.
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why not just ask what it means because I have
5 not heard of it myself. So, I would like you to explain it
6 to me. You may get someone to say in due course from the
7 witness box -- it may even be you -- what it means in the
8 UK. (To the witness): What does it mean in the States?
9 A. "McJobs" in the States basically refers to the
10 employment of people at McDonald's restaurants. We have
11 close to 10,000 restaurants in the United States. We
12 employ an awful lot of people, and so it is not unusual for
13 someone to characterise a job at McDonald's as "McJob" or
14 being a part of the McDonald's family, McFamily.
15
16 Q. Does it have any -----
17 A. It does not have a negative connotation, to my
18 knowledge.
19
20 MR. MORRIS: But it also is used, is it not, to describe a
21 certain type of job that other people may be employing
22 people? We can get some press cuttings out, but it is used
23 to describe a type of job, is it not -- not just McDonald's
24 employees?
25 A. I do not think that is a fair characterisation. No,
26 I would not say that. That is not a term that you could
27 use across our industry; I would not say that would be the
28 case.
29
30 Q. But you have been criticised in America for paying low
31 wages from time to time. I am not saying you agree, I am
32 just trying to establish you have had criticism about low
33 wages and employees being bossed around and things like
34 that, have you not?
35 A. From time to time we have received criticism from
36 people that were not knowledgeable about work at
37 McDonald's, and we over time have attempted to address
38 concerns or criticism that have been levelled at
39 McDonald's. I think the record will clearly show that
40 McDonald's provides a great deal of opportunity for anyone
41 starting out, you know, as a crew person.
42
43 Q. Maybe to shorten this line of questioning, is there
44 anything in the London Greenpeace fact sheet, the subject
45 of this action, which you can put your finger on? You can
46 have a copy -----
47 A. My Lord, can I have a copy?
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Ask the question first of all though.
50
51 MR. MORRIS: Yes. You know the contents of the fact sheet, yes?
52 A. I have reviewed it. I have not looked at it -----
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I will let you have an opportunity to look
55 again in a moment, but let us have the question.
56
57 MR. MORRIS: Is there anything in the fact sheet which has not
58 been said beforehand? I know that you do not agree with
59 the fact sheet. Do not worry about that.
60
