Day 153 - 12 Jul 95 - Page 13

     
     1        price?
     2        A.  The value of its meals.
     3
     4   Q.   Including, lately, crazy prices, special cheap -----
     5        A.  Yes.  We are currently advertising 49p hamburgers, 59p
     6        cheeseburgers.
     7
     8   Q.   Has that been a successful -----
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No.  It does not matter, Mr. Morris, does it?
    11        I have taken on board that you say that McDonald's try and
    12        restrict labour wages and staffing in order to make greater
    13        profits to the detriment of their workforce, and the
    14        McDonald's witnesses say:  "No, that would cut our own
    15        throats after a while."   That is the issue on the two
    16        cases.
    17
    18        I am not going to stop you putting it, if you wish, to
    19        someone like Mr. Preston, when he comes back, but I do not
    20        think we advance the matter one bit putting that again to
         someone in Mr. Davis's position.
    22
    23   MR. MORRIS:  Right.  There is just that extra, sort of, plank to
    24        our case.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am talking about the general issue as to
    27        McDonald's attitude to wage rates and their motivation
    28        behind that attitude, whatever it is.
    29
    30   MR. MORRIS:  I would contend that McDonald's have not denied
    31        that they seek a low labour rate, within limits.
    32
    33   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  All I am saying is, it is argument from now
    34        on.  Mr. Preston may be a different kettle of fish, as the
    35        Chief Executive Officer, but everyone beneath Mr. Preston,
    36        from now on, it is just rehearsing the argument yet again.
    37
    38        I would like you and Ms. Steel, in fact, to bear that in
    39        mind in any arguments about principle with Mr. Davis.  I am
    40        aware of the allegations which you made about Colchester in
         both of your witness statements.  By all means, put those,
    42        or the essence of them.  That Mr. Rampton has put a fair
    43        number of them in chief; and, where you want to challenge
    44        them, by all means do so.  But I would urge you to
    45        concentrate on the issues of fact in relation to Colchester
    46        with Mr. Davis, rather than general McDonald's attitudes.
    47
    48   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, right.  (To the witness)  On page 5 of your
    49        statement, at the top of the page, third line?
    50        A.  Yes. 
    51 
    52   Q.   With regard to the maggots at the Bury St. Edmunds store -- 
    53        this has come from one of our witness
    54        statements -- "I agree this is something of a McDonald's
    55        rumour or legend.  Do you agree with that?
    56        A.  I agree with what I have written in my statement, yes.
    57
    58   Q.   Going on to point 12, just checking my notes of what you
    59        said, you said that whatever came out of the drains ---
    60