Day 154 - 13 Jul 95 - Page 11

     
     1        response to the original statement made.  That is how
     2        I imagine it may have occurred.  As I recall it, it did not
     3        ever get to that stage.
     4
     5   Q.   They took heed of your threat, presumably?
     6        A.  I would not call it a threat.  It was a sort of
     7        friendly warning, I would call it.
     8
     9   Q.   Well, some people might perceive disciplinary action as a
    10        threat.
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I wonder whether you actually had anything
    13        particularly in mind?  Did you have any particular step in
    14        mind, or were you just saying:  "Cool it, or there will be
    15        trouble", without thinking what might happen?
    16        A.  What I could imagine might have happened is that
    17        I would have said to them that, "Come on, lads, this is
    18        getting a bit sort of ridiculous.  Can we just sort of get
    19        on with the work and stop messing about?"
    20
    Q.   Anyway, your case is that it all evaporated anyway?
    22        A.  It evaporated very quickly, yes.  I am really surprised
    23        to actually see it as part of the case at all, to be
    24        honest.
    25
    26   MR. MORRIS:  Why should people not walk off a shift if they have
    27        a dispute with the management?
    28        A.  Why should they not walk off shift?
    29
    30   Q.   Yes.  Obviously, it means disciplinary action, you would
    31        have no choice.  Why?
    32        A.  It depends on what the reasons were why they walked off
    33        shift.  If there was no particular reason why or any
    34        reasonable excuse for walking off the shift, then dependent
    35        on the incidents and the situation, you have to make some
    36        sort of decision.  Obviously, you cannot just have people
    37        walking in and walking out when they feel like it.
    38
    39   Q.   No.  But the context was there was a dispute, you said ---
    40
    MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, is that -----
    42
    43   MR. MORRIS:  -- a disagreement with the shift running manager,
    44        you said, and you remember -----
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What do you remember about the disagreement
    47        with the shift running manager?
    48        A.  Virtually nothing.  I could just remember -----
    49
    50   MR. MORRIS:  There was a disagreement? 
    51        A.  There may have been a disagreement. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Did you threaten the manager with discipline for upsetting
    54        the staff?  Did you say: "There will be trouble if you
    55        carry on upsetting the staff"?
    56        A.  I do not agree that the manager necessarily upset the
    57        staff.
    58
    59   Q.   You are saying that the workers got threatened that there
    60        would be trouble after this incident?