LOCKED-OUT Gate Gourmet workers are campaigning every day for delegations to attend their conference in London on Sunday January 29, whilst at the same time maintaining their daily picket.
The more than 700 TGWU members were sacked by the airline catering company on August 10 last year.
Speaking to News Line at the weekend, locked out worker Parmjit Bains said: ‘Gate Gourmet sacked us because it wanted to bring in new terms and conditions.
‘We’ve heard that they are already bringing in new rosters for loaders and drivers.
‘It used to be four days on, four days off. Now it’s five days on, three days off.
‘Under the Survival Plan that the company has agreed with the union leaders, you have to do anything, anywhere.
‘It is moving towards slave labour.
‘There are two Gate Gourmet sites on the (Heathrow) airport and they want to move people from one site to the other.’
She continued: ‘We are very upset that a second British Airways worker has been sacked for coming out in sympathy with us and we are very worried about the rest of the BA workers in the future.
‘BA wants to do what Gate Gourmet has done: sack thousands of workers and bring in new terms and conditions.
‘We are campaigning every day now for our conference and we are inviting BA workers to come.
‘If the TGWU can’t save their shop stewards, how can they protect the rest of their members?
‘Now is the time for a national strike.’
Parminder Brar said: ‘The company picked on us for compulsory redundancy and we won’t let them get away with it.
‘We are fighting and determined to win.
‘Now British Airways has sacked two shop stewards for supporting us.
‘They must not be allowed to get away with it.
‘What Gate Gourmet and BA have done is a threat to the union.
‘They have sacked workers because they want to cut costs and they don’t want any opposition.
‘The union leaders don’t want to fight, they just want to let them get away with it.
‘We must have leaders who will fight. We have to win.’
