Locked out Gate Gourmet workers were out all day yesterday campaigning for Sunday’s march and rally in Southall to demand that all the locked out workers are returned to their jobs.
While the picket continued, a campaign team visited the huge Greenford Royal Mail sorting office and spoke to Geoff Loftus, CWU Area Processing Rep.
After listening to their story, he said: ‘I find it is an absolute disgrace in the 21st century that workers feel their union executive has let them down by not having a democratic vote.
‘It needs investigating.
‘I’ve got people working here with wives who are amongst the locked out Gate Gourmet workers.
‘And I’m sure the 1,000 CWU members support your struggle.
‘We will publicise your march. I want our banner on your march. It is a shame what is happening here.’
The campaign team also visited and received support from Southall Further Education College and Southall fire station.
At the end of the afternoon campaign, Mrs Salwant Uppal said: ‘The postal workers were shocked when they heard what is happening to us.
‘Their representative said “your union leaders are selling you out”.
‘And he said he was sure his members would come and support our march.
‘We are going back there to make sure that they do.
‘We are campaigning all week and are looking forward to a great day.’
Mrs Sukhvinder Basra added: ‘I’m one of the 164 selected for compulsory redundancy.
‘I was selected because I was sick for a short period of time last year. It is disgusting that our union leaders agreed to this.
‘I’m not accepting it and none of my friends are.
‘I don’t accept the deal and I won’t sign. I am going to fight my case.
‘The union said the deadline to sign was last month.
‘Now they’ve extended it. That’s not right.
‘They just want to help the company, they want to finish the dispute, but nothing’s finished.
‘That’s why our march is so important, we are explaining to everybody the true situation and we are showing that we are still fighting.’
