Day 214 - 01 02 96 - Page 12

 
 

                                                                  DAY 214
 
                                                 DAVID ROBERTS, Examined:
 
 
 
     1        peaks in the summer and at December, but nothing
     2        noticeable.
     3
     4   Q.   Ignore the next -- I will ask you, did you, yourself, ever
     5        threaten any crew member that they would not get a break at
     6        all unless they did it at a time you wanted?
     7        A.  No, I have never done that.
     8
     9   Q.   Have you ever instructed any of your subordinate managers
    10        to do that?
    11        A.  No, I have not.
    12
    13   Q.   Have you ever heard of them doing it?
    14        A.  No.
    15
    16   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause a moment.  Yes?
    17
    18   MR. RAMPTON:  What view do you take of Managers -- let us say,
    19        it might be a Second Assistant, even a Floor Manager or a
    20        First Assistant -- who might treat crew in that way?
    21        A.  If a Manager was to say that to a crew member, I would
    22        expect the Manager to work the whole shift without a break
    23        themselves, which, again, they would not do; so it was, it
    24        is not to be encouraged.
    25
    26   Q.   In your view -- in your experience, I should say, because
    27        you are now a very experienced Manager -- this may be
    28        obvious but I would like you to answer it, nonetheless --
    29        what contribution to the success of a restaurant does the
    30        morale, the happiness, of the crew contribute, make?
    31        A.  To the actual running of the restaurant on a day-to-day
    32        basis, a store that has a bad atmosphere and a bad morale
    33        is going to be very difficult to control.  The productivity
    34        of the crew will be low and it is obviously going to affect
    35        the business itself, the customers, because it has a direct
    36        effect on the customers.  The most important thing to the
    37        business is that the people are going to be happy within
    38        it.
    39
    40   Q.   Were you in court when Kim Moffatt was giving evidence?
    41        A.  Yes, I was, yes.
    42
    43   Q.   Did your ears burn when she spoke about your qualities as
    44        Manager?
    45        A.  I was surprised.
    46
    47   Q.   Leave the next one about 10 hour shifts, and the next one
    48        about the Crew Handbook, because you were not there at the
    49        time that Mr. Beech was recruited and Miss Moffatt has
    50        already dealt with it.  Then the next one, "When under 17s" 
    51        -- have you got that one? 
    52        A.  Yes, I have, yes. 
    53
    54   Q.  "When under 17s were clocked out early and their clocking in
    55        adjusted one hour back, they would, to my knowledge" (that
    56        is Mr. Beech's knowledge) "lose the additional unsocial
    57        hours increment they were entitled to."  Did you ever
    58        during your time as Manager clock anybody out earlier and
    59        give them an extra hour at the beginning of their shift?
    60        A.  Never, never.
 
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