Day 144 - 28 Jun 95 - Page 14
1 a few pence over them" and that they "could not actually
2 pay any lower wages without falling foul of the law". Does
3 that concern you?
4 A. Each country has to determine the way it manages its
5 wages.
6
7 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, may I have the reference to that
8 statement?
9
10 MR. MORRIS: Yes. Day 118, page 7, between lines 5 and 16. (To
11 the witness): But people who are at or near the minimum
12 wage, at or a few pence over the minimum wage, that is fine
13 by the McDonald's Corporation, is it?
14 A. I do not know the specific circumstances in the UK with
15 regard to that area, so I cannot comment one way or
16 another. I do not know what the competitive environment is
17 for people. I do not know what others are paying. You are
18 asking me something that is really terribly unfair because
19 I do not fully understand the English system or how wages
20 are determined here.
21
22 Q. Yes, but, Mr. Stein, you are not an unintelligent man and
23 if you are aware -----
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just where are we going on this?
26
27 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, I am afraid it is yet another one. The
28 reference should be extended to line 3 because what
29 Mr. Nicholson was talking about was starting rates, not
30 wages in general.
31
32 MR. MORRIS: Yes, starting rates.
33
34 MR. RAMPTON: Not "yes, starting rates"; that was not the
35 question the witness was asked. It was not how
36 Mr. Nicholson's evidence was represented in court.
37
38 MR. MORRIS: Bearing in mind -----
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Mr. Morris, where we are going with
41 Mr. Stein ----
42
43 MR. MORRIS: I want to put to him -----
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just listen to me first: Where are we going
46 on this? We have had evidence as to what happens in this
47 country where the vast majority of McDonald's stores are
48 actually run by the Second Plaintiff. We know that the
49 Second Plaintiff is a wholly owned subsidiary of the First
50 Plaintiff. So, I suppose the bottom line is that if the
51 First Plaintiff wanted to it could shut up the whole show.
52
53 We know that Mr. Stein has said, however, he is content to
54 leave matters -- I assume, therefore, he is in this respect
55 speaking for the First Plaintiff -- relating to wage rates
56 to the wholly owned UK subsubsidiary which is running the
57 vast majority of McDonald's stores in this country.
58
59 Where that takes us at the end of the day, we will have to
60 see. But for the purposes of any argument you have, what
