HUNDREDS of locked out Gate Gourmet workers went to the TGWU regional office in Hillingdon yesterday to receive their ‘hardship’ payments and to question the union officers about getting their jobs back.
Locked out worker, Majo told News Line: ‘The compromise agreement is collapsing because no one is signing it, so we are all in the same boat again, and that is good.
‘We are all going for an employment tribunal and reinstatement.’
Baljeet, another locked out worker said: ‘They sent me a compulsory redundancy letter and the compromise agreement.
‘I am not signing the agreement and nor are any of my friends.
‘All the kitchen ladies, more than 20 of us, have all received compulsory redundancy letters.
‘We are all 100 per cent hard workers. We are never sick, we have never misbehaved, we have done nothing, yet we are sacked.
‘We are all very experienced workers who have worked eight or nine years at the company, and we are all friends.
‘We won’t sign the compromise agreement, we are all going to the tribunal to make our case.’
Harminder added: ‘The union officers are saying that they are going to send in for employment tribunals by the end of the month, but after what they have done we cannot believe them.
‘Why should we trust them? They negotiated the compromise agreement in the first place.
‘They said that it was the best deal possible, when it was the worst deal that they could have come up with.’
Jasbir said: ‘They sent me a letter making me redundant. It was a terrible shock.
‘My husband is sick and we are all so worried . Our blood pressure is so high, but I am not accepting it. There is no reason why I should.
‘I need my job. We must all stick together and all be reinstated together.’
Mr Barma added: ‘My wife got the compulsory redundancy letter.
‘We are telling everyone don’t sign. Look at the deal. Signing this deal means signing away all of your rights.’
Anil said: ‘Woodley, Gold and Barber should resign for signing the deal.’
Shop steward Inder said: ‘I said from the start that this deal would collapse. The conditions were not acceptable and the first hurdle was not realistic.
‘There were so many conditions according to the compromise agreement, people were asked to sign away all of their rights.
‘It was never possible for 100 per cent of the people to sign the agreement and the company knew that.
‘That means that they were playing for time. Time is now short. The deadline for applying for an Employment tribunal is November 9.’
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