GATE Gourmet shop stewards went to a meeting at the Trades Union Congress in central London yesterday with leaders of their union, the TGWU, and the TUC.
They were expecting to hear of a proposed settlement to their six-week dispute.
Locked out Gate Gourmet workers insisted yesterday morning that they would not accept anything less than reinstatement for all, on their original terms and conditions.
Speaking on the picket line at Heathrow airport Mr S Gill said: ‘The union should fight this case very strongly.
‘We were unfairly dismissed and if Tony Woodley won’t fight for our reinstatement then he should resign.’
Fellow T&G member Jaswinder said: ‘If the proposed settlement is anything like the “internal compromise agreement” on the Gate Gourmet website then we don’t accept.
‘We don’t accept the company having the right to pick and choose who it has back, and we don’t accept new terms and conditions.
‘We are very strong and united and ready to fight on to victory.’
Gurdev added: ‘We will not accept changes in our working conditions.
‘The company has tried to get rid of sick pay, cut down breaks, to pay flat rate overtime, and they want to roster holidays so you can only go on holiday when they say.
‘We don’t accept any of these things.
‘The company created a provocation on the 10th August because we wouldn’t accept these things and then they sacked us.
‘Now the company is trying to get our own union leaders to accept them without our approval.
‘There must be no sellout, we are going forward to victory.’
Mr Barra said: ‘What is the point of going back on new terms and conditions after we have been sitting here for six weeks?’
Fellow picket Pinkie said: ‘It is a waste of time if we go back on new terms and conditions.
‘We’ve lost two month’s pay and our health is deteriorating sitting outside.
‘We had skin problems with the sun and now it is getting cold.
‘All our plans at home have been cancelled and we can’t make appointments because we are here, and our families are suffering because we can’t cook proper food for them.’
