Day 208 - 24 Jan 96 - Page 09
1 industry that is going to be affected by individuals.
2
3 Q. If you would turn to the rap sessions of the 24th, the
4 notes of 24th February 1995, starting on page 237. What
5 happens at the rap sessions: do the Supervisors take down
6 everything that is said there, or do they ignore some
7 comments and just -----
8 A. It would be taken by a Supervisor from another group,
9 so that, basically, it is totally anonymous. If there is a
10 dispute, say, that some person makes a comment and some
11 persons say, "Well, no, that is not true", then they will
12 tend to take a note on it. If it is, sort of, there is
13 only one person that is making the comment, they will still
14 put it in, but there would be a question mark along with
15 it.
16
17 Q. Or they might put, as we have seen in some of these, "Some
18 people say this and others disagree", or something like
19 that?
20 A. Yes.
21
22 Q. They would not write something down if one person said it
23 and everybody else said: "Oh, we disagree with that"?
24 A. They would but, again, they would put a question mark
25 against it.
26
27 Q. So on page 238, where it says: "Is health and safety a high
28 priority in your restaurant?" and the answer is: "Not
29 really", you did not speak out and disagree with that
30 answer?
31 A. Where it is a "not really" answer, that again could be
32 down to a split decision.
33
34 Q. There is no record of any disagreement, is there?
35 A. Yes, but it does say "not really" as opposed to "no".
36 So if the whole group is decided, it would have gone in as
37 a "no".
38
39 Q. "Have all employees received COSHH training?" "Three out
40 of eight people." Were you one of those people?
41 A. I have been one of the three, yes.
42
43 Q. Above that at the top of the page, where it says, "Kitchen
44 and back room need a new non-scratch holder; McToaster
45 buzzer does not work x 2. Grill squeezers needs replacing,
46 otherwise good. Grease trap holding support needs
47 repairing. Hands" -- I presume that is "sink" -- "hand
48 sink in kitchen continually blocked. Plugs in back room
49 sinks need repairing", you did not disagree with any of
50 that?
51 A. No, I did not disagree with any of that.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I want you to be a bit careful not to assume
54 that not disagreeing means the witness is confirming it.
55 He may well be confirming that. I have never been to a rap
56 session, but one goes to meetings and conferences and
57 seminars, and so on, and people say things one disagrees
58 with, but one does not immediately leap up and
59 say: "I disagree with that"; it is all part of the
60 contribution to the meeting. So, if you are going to
