THE locked-out Gate Gourmet workers have vowed to fight until they win reinstatement on their old terms and conditions, six months after the 700-strong workforce was sacked without warning on August 10 last year.
When they heard of the mass dismissals, workers at Heathrow Airport walked out for two days, bringing British Airways to a standstill.
But the leadership of the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) told the workers to return to work, rather than stay out until the Gate Gourmet workers were reinstated.
More than 200 people took part in a mass picket at Heathrow last Friday to mark six months since the struggle started, including bus workers, rail workers, firefighters and youth.
Another mass picket is planned at the end of this month.
Pride of place on the picket was the Justice For Gate Gourmet Workers banner.
‘Compromise Agreement – no way! Jobs back – now!’, ‘Slavery – no way!’, ‘Gate Gourmet – shame on you!’ shouted the pickets.
Calling for the sacking of TGWU leaders Tony Woodley and Brendan Gold, for their roles in trying to sell out the dispute, the workers shouted: ‘We are not for sale! We are not for sale! We are diamonds, priceless diamonds!’
There were jeers when scab Gate Gourmet vans drove past and cheers when motorists tooted their horns to show support for the locked-out workers’ fight for reinstatement.
Steve Sprung, a member of Sheffield NATFHE, the lecturers’ union, joined the picket with his son, a firefighter.
He told News Line: ‘I was surprised to see this struggle was still on and I am very angry that the union has stopped the hardship payments to the locked-out workers.
‘The union must defend its members.
‘At the beginning, the union leaders said the company were “gangster capitalists’’.
‘It reminds me of Grunwicks, when the union leaders said they were the worst company since Dickens’ time, then proceeded to make a deal with them.
‘The union leaders see their role as “mediating’’, when we need leaders who will fight for their members.
‘I will raise the question of supporting the Gate Gourmet workers with my union.’
Locked-out worker Mrs Parmjeet Sidhu told News Line: ‘The union solicitor rang me at 7.30pm last night and asked me if I had signed the “Compromise Agreement’’.
‘When I said no, she asked me why and I told her that they chose me to be one of the 144 compulsory redundancies and I will not accept it.
‘I told her I want to carry on my case and she asked me if my case was with the union solicitors and I said, “Yes, I want you to represent me.’’
‘This is a free country. Why should we be slaves?
‘We are proud of ourselves and we are going to win this fight.’
Another locked-out worker, Mrs Kulwinder Grewal, said: ‘I’m one of the 144 people they called “troublemakers’’ and they chose for compulsory redundancy.
‘It’s totally wrong, we are hardworking.
‘The union lawyer sent me a letter trying to convince me to sign the agreement.
‘That’s all the union leaders are interested in.
‘But we are definitely going forward and fighting and not giving in.
‘Definitely we will fight on.
‘The union leaders have done a horrible thing to us, but we are not letting them get away with it.’
Jagi Vadgama, chair of TGWU 1/770 branch in west London, was one of a group of bus drivers who joined the picket and were greeted by the locked-out workers.
‘I have been coming here previously, when the dispute initially started,’ he told News Line.
‘Ever since then I have been keeping in touch with them.’
Ben Sprung, chairman of Kentish Town Fire Brigades Union, said: ‘I’m an FBU member, a firefighter.
‘I have come to lend support and learn more about the struggle really, and take their message back to the station.’
He continued: ‘It’s not right. It’s disgusting that these workers have been locked out for six months.
‘There’s not a lot you can say when the union withdraws their hardship pay. A union can’t operate like that, can it?’
He said the trade unions ‘have to find a way forward’.
He explained: ‘We have to make more people aware of what is going on.
‘It is more important to educate everyone and develop an understanding about these conflicts.
‘We need to teach people that it’s their struggle now, but it will be you next.
‘If you can learn the lessons, then you will be a lot stronger.
‘Workers need to learn about the tactics the employers are using.’
Locked-out worker Mrs Raj said TGWU General Secretary Woodley should be sacked for betraying the struggle at Gate Gourmet.
She said ‘yes’, the locked-out workers will win their fight.
‘There are no other jobs for us,’ she added.
Parmjit Bains thanked everyone for taking part in the picket and urged them to join the monthly mass picket at the end of February.
She told News Line: ‘We are very angry with the union and Gate Gourmet.
‘We trusted our union leaders and they gave us up on the way.
‘They are not giving us any support, not even any hardship pay.
‘Our demand is we want to take our cases for unfair dismissal to the tribunal and the union must give us support.
‘We want our jobs back on our old terms and conditions, not like the few who have signed the “Compromise’’ deal who have gone back inside on a new contract. They are crying!’
Jarnail Singh, the TGWU branch secretary at Gate Gourmet, said: ‘Our locked out workers are still outside fighting for our case.
‘This is very bad. It has taken too long to solve this problem.
‘The TGWU members have done their best. For two days they stopped the airport. They support us.
‘But the Gate Gourmet and BA bosses are together and they want to make slave workers on the airport, while they take their bonuses and high wages and live in London.
‘The TGWU members support us all the way.
‘The BA union rep is dismissed after the support that was shown for the Gate Gourmet workers by the BA workers.
‘Tony Woodley should be fighting for the BA workers as well, to make sure the union rep goes back as soon as possible.
‘We want Woodley to return our dispute pay until we go back to work.
‘The locked-out workers are still paying their contributions to the union, so the union should support us to the end of our dispute.
‘Give us our hardship fund.’
Bernard Polley, a local Hounslow resident, said: ‘I came here today because I’m disgusted with the way the workers have been treated.
‘They’ve been singled out and exploited and I think we should all stand together when it comes to exploitation of the workforce.’
Syed Bokhari, from Feltham, said: ‘I think it’s a big union and they have the money to pay the locked-out workers their dispute pay.
‘I think it’s outrageous these workers have been branded “troublemakers’’ and haven’t been reinstated.
‘I think it’s disgusting the union leaders have not given them their full support.’
Alex York, from Peckham, was part of a very lively contingent of Young Socialists members who waved placards and shouted their enthusiastic support.
He said: ‘I’ve come with the Young Socialists to support the Gate Gourmet workers, to give Gate Gourmet the message that what they have done to their workers is totally unfair after all the years of loyalty the workers have given to the company.’
He added: ‘It is not right that just because they hired them, they think they can fire them.
‘The union leaders should think about the people who got them there, workers who trusted them to lead the whole organisation.
‘It may not happen today, it may not happen tomorrow, but this mistake they’ve done, it’s going to haunt them.’
William Westwell, a member of Camden UNISON branch committee, said: ‘Our branch committee voted overwhelmingly to support the locked-out Gate Gourmet workers’ struggle for reinstatement and they have agreed they will invite a speaker to the next branch committee meeting.
‘The trade unions have to back this struggle in a united way because it is a struggle for the whole working class.
‘It involves defending wages, defending jobs and the kind of leadership that is needed in the trade unions.
‘It is a question of whether the unions are going to be trampled on by the employers or the unions are going to stand up to the “gangster capitalists’’.
‘It is a turning point for the trade unions. If they don’t support these workers, then they will end up supporting the “gangster capitalists’’.’
