Gate Gourmet Struggle A Major Issue On London May Day March

OVER 12,000 trade unionists and numbers of youth joined the TUC May Day demonstration through central London on Monday, at which locked-out Gate Gourmet workers angrily confronted the leader of their union, TGWU General Secretary Tony Woodley.

Woodley was at the front of the demonstration along with Amicus leader Derek Simpson and TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, proclaiming himself to be a champion of trade union freedom and employment rights for workers.

But the locked-out Gate Gourmet workers, in the ninth month of their struggle for reinstatement, demanded Woodley answer for the Compromise Agreement he made with the company and his decision to stop their hardship payments because they refuse to sign the Agreement.

A leaflet distributed to demonstrators from the locked-out workers said: ‘Our union leaders in T&GWU have refused to take on these ruthless bosses. Instead they have agreed to the company’s survival plan.

‘They signed a Compromise Agreement that only helped Gate Gourmet.

‘If we had signed, we would sign away our right to go to the Employment Tribunal for wrongful dismissal – we will not accept that these employers can hire and fire at will.

‘This is not trade unionism and this agreement should never have been signed.’

They demanded the TGWU make the dispute official and restore their hardship payments, stopped on January 6.

The locked-out workers carried their two banners to the rally in Trafalgar Square and won lots of support.

They also held placards saying things like: ‘We will never sign the Compromise Agreement’ and ‘T&G make our dispute official’, and shouted slogans demanding Woodley resign.

There were many TGWU banners on the march from all parts of the country and a contingent of TGWU members from the closure-threatened Peugeot car plant in Coventry at the front of the demonstration.

There were also large contingents and banners from the RMT rail union and the NASUWT teachers’ union and several large contingents of Turkish and Kurdish youth and workers, who brought their banners, traditional costumes, red flags and placards which said things like ‘No To American bases – No to puppets of the Americans’ and ‘No to the Anti-Terror laws’.

There were also banners saying things like: ‘Victory to Revolution in Nepal – support the Iraqi and Palestinian people’s struggles’, ‘No to cuts in Public Services’ and ‘No to Imperialist War’.

There were also a large number of young people who were demanding the right to protest at Parliament Square and were being surrounded and photographed by police.

About 200 youth and workers were on the Workers Revolutionary Party and Young Socialists contingent, led by a banner that said:

• ‘France shows the way

• ‘Britain – kick Blair out

• ‘For a workers government and socialism’.

‘Victory to Gate Gourmet workers! Kick Blair out!’, ‘End the occupation of Iraq! Troops out now!’ they shouted, as more youth joined their contingent.

Stacey Southon, 21, a Young Socialists member from Hackney, said: ‘I work with disabled children. I have never got involved in anything like this before, but I have very strong views though.

‘I think anything possible should be done to kick Blair out and the whole of the Labour government, because there’s always another Blair.’

There were banners from many unions, including the NUT, BECTU, Amicus, GMB, UNISON, UCATT, CWU, PCS, NATFHE and AUT.

As the march assembled, Andy Salisbury, membership secretary of Neasden RMT, told News Line: ‘As a rail worker, when I voted for Labour back in 1997 I thought one of the first things they would do was repeal the anti-union laws and they failed to do that.

‘The Labour Party was set up by the working people and to represent us and they’re not doing that now – that’s why the RMT got kicked out of the Labour Party.’

Derrick Marr, RMT national executive committee member, said: ‘Today’s all about the repeal of the anti-union laws, as organised by the TUC.

‘The other issue that the RMT are capaigning on is the issue of pensions.

‘We’re gearing up for a national ballot of our members in over 66 companies across the country.

‘It’s a joint campaign across the board, with all four railway trade unions involved – ASLEF, Amicus, RMT and TSSA.’

Amanda Sackur, a NATFHE officer at London Metropolitan University, told News Line: ‘This is May Day – we’re here to show solidarity with workers around the world and demand proper trade union rights.

‘This country has extraordinarily restrictive laws on trade union organisation.

‘It’s almost impossible to strike as we’ve discovered, having been forced to organise so many strike ballots.’

Bob Lambert, secretary of Colchester Central Amicus, 1861 branch, said: ‘We’ve been betrayed so much by this government.

‘We thought we’d voted in a socialist government but now they’re doing policies I don’t think even the Tories would have done.

‘It’s definitely time to take action to kick Blair out.

‘Right at the time of the elections – this is the time for the trade unions to do something – suddenly the TUC leaders have backed off, like with the pensions, as they did before the last general election.

‘It’s time we formed a real workers’ party to end all this.’

John Hartnett, from the UEF pensions struggle, came from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to take part in the march.

He told News Line: ‘UEF forges were closed down three years ago and the workers lost all their pensions. We are here to demand our pensions back.

‘The unions must use all means at their disposal to get our pensions back.

‘We’ve been fighting for three years and had no respect from MPs or the unions as such. They’re all talk and no action.’

Preston Tabois, a London busworkers’ rep. from the TGWU 1/281 branch, said: ‘I’ve got total support for the Gate Gourmet workers, unreserved.

‘We should all be doing more to support them across all unions, because what happened to them today can happen to us tomorrow.

‘I think Woodley needs to look in the mirror very hard, if that’s the case he’s agreed to such a Compromise Deal.

‘That sort of a deal isn’t a deal, it’s a slow death. You don’t need a trade union to negotiate that!

‘I’m very surprised the dispute has never been made official – if Gate Gourmet is not an official dispute, I don’t know what is.’

Paul Moffat, Eastern Regional Secretary of the CWU, said: ‘The CWU branches and members have rallied round to make financial donations to the fighting fund for the Gate Gourmet workers and will continue to support them until there’s a resolution of their dispute.

‘I personally think the TUC resolution should be implemented in full to ensure our workers at Gate Gourmet, and the workers who will follow them, get their rights fully aired and get treated like proper workers.

‘The CWU has always been fully behind the Gate Gourmet workers.’

Steve Peacock, from the TGWU 5/909 branch at Land Rover, said: ‘The car industry must be renationalised.

‘That’s what we’re talking about – true socialism.

‘The same should be happening to the railways.

‘Workers are used and abused because the Labour government refuses to repeal all of the anti-union laws.

‘A Trade Union Freedom Bill would be a step along the way.’

Dr Wasim Ashraf, from east London, said: ‘We are asking the TUC to support our demand that the new immigration rules for Commonwealth doctors should be revoked.

‘The government has used the overseas doctors. When the NHS needed overseas doctors, they welcomed us here, and now they are throwing us out!’

At the rally in Trafalgar Square, the assembled trade union leaders addressed the crowd.

But between the stage and the crowd was a gap of at least 20 feet and a large metal barrier.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber pleaded with the Labour government for ‘simple fairness’ by passing a Trade Union Freedom Bill.

Citing the planned closure of the Peugeot factory, Barber said British workers were the ‘cheapest and easiest’ to get rid of in Europe.

He added: ‘No longer should workers face the sack by megaphone like the Gate Gourmet workers whose brave battle for justice was so inspiring.

‘No longer should workers coming to Britain from other parts of the world for a better life, face the exploitation that so many suffer today.’

Barber was ‘inspired’ by the Gate Gourmet workers to help the TGWU leaders make the Compromise Deal with the employers that sold their members out.

He spoke to a half-empty Trafalgar Square before most of the marchers, including the Gate Gourmet workers, had reached the rally.

So did TGWU leader Tony Woodley, who also pleaded with Blair for a change in the law.

He described the occasion as ‘historic’.

Referring to the sacking of the ‘over 700 low-paid Gate Gourmet workers’ last August, a nervous Woodley said: ‘This scandal must never happen again.’

He continued: ‘Our party have made some tremendous strides forwards, but you are completely out of touch with your supporters and trade unionists here, when you say we can’t have solidarity, supportive action.’

He pleaded for the same ‘protection’ from dismissal he said workers across the rest of Europe enjoyed and attacked the role of ‘gangmasters’ following the deaths of the 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe.

Woodley said the Trade Union Freedom Bill would ‘not allow the gaffer to take out injunctions against us every time we want to take official industrial action.’

He continued pleading: ‘Allow us to make sure the disgraceful behaviour that happened to Gate Gourmet workers doesn’t happen again.’

He said that ‘only with solidarity action can you stop the disgraceful situation that happened at Gate Gourmet.’

Woodley then introduced Mr Dhillon, saying that he was the shop steward of the Gate Gourmet workers.

Dhillon said he thanked those people ‘who have supported our struggle during a very difficult time for us and our families’.

Dhillon added: ‘A Trade Union Freedom Bill is what we demand from our Labour Party.’

Gate Gourmet locked-out workers arriving in Trafalgar Square were angry to hear that Woodley and Dhillon had spoken.

One of the workers, Mohinder Virk, told News Line: ‘Tony Woodley is a big traitor – and Mr Dhillon. They’ve spoilt our lives.

‘Tony Woodley, he’s sold us, and the TGWU must make him resign immediately.’

Parmjit Brar said: ‘Our dispute is not over.

‘We are really angry with management and the union leaders.

‘We are angry with Tony Woodley for coming here today and trying to gain credibility from our struggle – and with Mr Dhillon.’

Mussarat Saeed said: ‘Tony Woodley is trying to play a trick on the TUC members here today by making a speech today.

‘He spoke before we even got into Trafalgar Square and so we have been denied the chance to tell everyone what has really happened.

‘He has two faces – one for the public here today and one for us, the locked-out workers.

‘He is supporting Gate Gourmet, when he should be supporting us.

‘He’s not telling the truth to workers here today.’

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said it was an indictment of the Labour government, that almost ten years after it was first elected to office, trade unions were still having to beg it for basic trade union freedoms.

He insisted there was nothing illegal with ‘standing shoulder to shoulder’ with workers in struggle, citing the example of the BA workers who walked-out in support of the Gate Gourmet workers when they were locked out last August.

He said: ‘It’s about time the trade union movement showed its teeth to this Labour government, like it would to a Tory government, and make sure we never see a situation like what happened at Gate Gourmet happens again.’

Amicus General Secretary Derek Simpson spoke after Crow and tried to rebuff what he had said.

Simpson pleaded for a ‘level playing field’ for the trade unions from the Blair government but added: ‘A Tory government will never give us the laws we want.’

Neither would any other party, Simpson said, spelling out that as far as he was concerned the trade unions must continue to support the government.

‘Less of new Labour, back to Old Labour – that will change the laws of this country, and the sooner the better.’

l MORE than 200 workers and youth attended a WRP and YS May Day rally in Covent Garden at the end of the TUC demonstration.

Jonty Leff, Young Socialists National Organiser, said: ‘It was a great march and we had lots of members and students there.

‘The YS went out and sold our paper and recruited a lot of people and whole groups joined us during the course of the march and are here in this room.

‘It shows the attraction of revolutionary policies when you stand up on principles and don’t budge an inch.’

Parmjit Bains, one of the leaders of the locked-out Gate Gourmet workers, said: ‘We are not giving our rights to anybody, neither the union leaders nor the management.

‘That’s why they are hiding from us, they want us to sign the Compromise Agreement and go away, but we are still fighting for our rights and I am very, very confident we will win.

‘Please continue in the future to give us your support as you have in the past.’

Richard Lugg, Hounslow UNISON, said: ‘Our branch will continue to support the Gate Gourmet workers until they win.

‘Woodley and the other trade union bureaucrats are cowards. They make their speeches and tell their lies and run away.

‘Others like Bob Crow give a lot of hot air but don’t call for bringing down this Labour government and going forward to a socialist government.

‘We have to form a workers government.

‘There was big turn out today. It scared the trade union leaders.’

Aslef member Bill Rogers added: ‘Everyone cheered the Gate Gourmet workers right from the beginning start of the march.

‘Woodley and the trade union leaders are afraid.

‘What is going on in France shows the way.’

CWU rep Billy Colvill said: ‘We struck a whole blow for the trade union movement today.’

Addressing the locked-out Gate Gourmet workers in the audience, he added: ‘If you had not been on the march, the union leaders would have got away with their lies.’

West London TGWU bus worker Paul Brown, told the meeting: ‘We support the Gate Gourmet workers.

‘But our members say “it can’t happen to us”.

‘They are wrong. We have a 58 per cent turnover.

‘We should go on strike to support the Gate Gourmet workers.

‘We need to go back to putting our hands up and act now.

‘We have to push for the right to go on strike.

‘We won’t forget Gate Gourmet or the jobs going at our company.’

Nurse Philomena Jay urged action to save the NHS.

She said: ‘We don’t want BUPA.

‘We want the NHS back where it was 45 to 48 years ago.

‘We don’t want privatisation. We don’t want GP fundholding.

‘If we don’t act now they will close hospitals. These services are going to go very soon.

‘It’s a big issue. We need to wake up, to save our hospitals. They are closing.’

Fine Esteve and Robert Mitchell appealed for support to stop the privatisation of their council estate, the Aylesbury estate in southeast London.

Mitchell told the meeting: ‘Seventy-three per cent voted to stay with the council.

‘Tony Blair sent in one of his mates, a consultant.

‘They want to overturn the ballot and privatise the whole estate.

‘It’s a scandal, we had a ballot and they want to overturn it.

‘We are on a prime piece of real estate.

‘In Rotherithe they plan to smash down all the estates and replace them with offices.

‘Ours is the biggest estate in Europe.

‘They told us if you don’t go with the housing association, you’ll most likely be homeless.

They want to take us back to the old days of landlordism.’

WRP General Secretary Frank Sweeney said: ‘This May Day was different because the working class has dealt a blow against capitalism and the trade union bureaucrats that prop it up.

‘The Gate Gourmet workers dealt a blow to Tony Woodley and TUC leader Brendan Barber.

‘Today, all round the world, revolution is developing.

‘The working class is challenging capitalism, what it needs is a leadership that is going all the way with it to seize power and go forwards to socialism.’