Day 203 - 12 Jan 96 - Page 09

     
     1   Q.   When you were a supervisor, was there a problem at Clacton
     2        with the stocking of food, which you failed to sort out and
     3        a new supervisor had to sort it out?  There was a problem
     4        which rebounded on Mike Buckley, the Store Manager?
     5        A.  I do not really know what you are talking about,
     6        because what you are saying just sounds quite vague to me
     7        and I cannot relate to what you are saying.  I certainly am
     8        not aware of the problem that a subsequent Supervisor had
     9        to sort out with Mike Buckley.
    10
    11   Q.   What were the mistakes you made in your relations with
    12        Mike Buckley?
    13        A.  I do not think I made any mistakes in my relations with
    14        Mike Buckley.  I think I had a reasonable relationship with
    15        Mike.
    16
    17   Q.   Do you want to go to your performance review at the back of
    18        your statement?  I presume it is at the back of your
    19        statement.  It is the third page of the performance
    20        review.
         A.  Yes.
    22
    23   Q.   At the bottom of the page, last paragraph, it says: "You
    24        have tied most of the managers down well with goals and
    25        objectives, although I hope you have learned through your
    26        mistakes with Mike Buckley, you must document everything."
    27        What mistakes is John Atherton referring to in that?
    28        A.  I do not really remember, to be honest with you.
    29        I just do not remember.  I think Mike had -- I cannot
    30        remember.  I would be speculating if I tried to.  I was
    31        just thinking what it might have been, but it might have
    32        been a couple of things.  Mike was not perfect.
    33
    34   Q.   Nobody is, are they?  You cannot remember any specific
    35        mistakes that you made with Mike Buckley, then?
    36        A.  Not really, no, to tell you the truth.
    37
    38   Q.   It is a long time ago, yes?
    39        A.  I do not really know what -- I mean, if you were to
    40        tell me of a specific mistake, I could comment on that,
         that you are aware of.  But at the moment I am simply
    42        scanning the time that Mike Buckley worked with me, looking
    43        for mistakes; and the fact that it is on my performance
    44        review, unfortunately, does not help me to remember.  That
    45        is the truth.  I am not -- I cannot recall the incident
    46        that is in my performance review.  You know, what am
    47        I to do?  I honestly cannot recall it.
    48
    49   Q.   Do you remember that some staff were sacked eventually
    50        under the guidance of the new Supervisor because of a long 
    51        running problem of food being stolen from the store, which 
    52        you had been aware of but had done nothing about? 
    53        A.  I remember that I think the subsequent Supervisor did
    54        dismiss some staff.  I do not agree that there was
    55        something in Clacton that I did nothing about, because if
    56        I had been aware of the problem I would have addressed it
    57        with the Store Manager, helping him to put the problem
    58        right.
    59
    60        Now I think I understand one or two of the things that you