DEFIANT Gate Gourmet locked out workers were standing on the picket line in the freezing cold yesterday determined to win their jobs back and defeat the union sell-out.
Mrs Mohinder Virk said: ‘It’s very cold standing here on the picket line, it’s not fair.
‘I’m very angry with the company and the union leaders. The union leaders tried to sell us but we are not for sale.
‘The company must not be allowed to get away with what it has done and the union leaders must be held to account for what they have done.
‘They signed the Compromise Agreement, agreeing to compulsory redundancies without our permission.’
Mrs Surinder Dhariwal said: ‘This fight is very important for everyone.
‘I was selected for compulsory redundancy because of sickness.
‘Three years ago I had an eye operation and last February there was an accident at work in which my hand was damaged and which is still very painful.
‘The union leaders agreed that people could be made redundant because of sickness. That is disgusting, I am a single parent and I need my job, all trade union members must fight for us.’
Mrs Asha Vasma, added: ‘We’re here on the picket line to show we’re fighting. The trade union leaders are standing by the company, not fighting for us.
‘They signed the Compromise Agreement with the company in September, before the mass meeting.
‘They kept us in the dark. We are fighting for our jobs back and full payment of all the wages we have lost.’
The locked out Gate Gourmet workers are picketing every day and are holding a conference at the end of January to discuss action to take their struggle forward to victory.
