angry Gate Gourmet workers told News Line over the weekend that they want their union, the TGWU, to provide them with information on who is to be reinstated and when, and also who is on the company’s list of ‘compulsory redundancies’.
Hermohinder Kabra said: ‘The union leaders are working both ways. They say they are looking out for us but really they are helping the company.
‘They know who is on the list of 144 but they are not telling us. Why not? They must be hiding something.
‘We are not going to put up with it. Why should we put up with these secret things? After all, we are all working class people.
‘The company are sending three people out in the lorries where it is meant to be only two. Does that mean they are training new people to do our jobs? I have worked here as a driver for eight years and I need my job, as we all do.
‘The union is going to have to act quick.’
Parmjit Bains said: ‘We are very stressed as the company and the union leaders are not giving us any response to our questions.
‘It is disgraceful. The union leaders are sitting on the list of compulsory redundancies and hiding it.
‘Senior shop stewards say they have not got permission to show the names on the list. But why do they need permission? They are meant to represent us. It is our lives that are involved.
‘The union leaders are playing with us. Also they are receiving lots of money from all over in support of our struggle but only giving us £50 a week and we don’t even know if we will continue getting that in the future.’
TGWU shop steward Gurdip Heer said: ‘I’ve had a letter from the company saying they’ve cleared my locker and I must come and pick up my belongings by the 19th. How dare they go in my locker! It’s my personal property and they have no right. When I spoke to a senior steward as to what he thought should be done about it, he had no answer.
‘We also want answers from the union on other questions. Who’s getting their jobs back and when?’
TGWU health and safety rep Baldev Sandhu said: ‘The company and the union said they would supply us with information on who would be reinstated, who is on the list of 144 compulsory redundancies and who were the seven so-called militants and troublemakers who were to get neither reinstatement nor redundancy. But we’ve heard nothing.
‘People need to know where they stand so they can protect themselves and take legal advice. The management and the union leaders have broken their promises.’
