LOCKED out Gate Gourmet workers visited Hillingdon Civic Centre, the Uxbridge library, Uxbridge bus garage, Uxbridge tube and Brunel University yesterday, to campaign for their conference on January 29.
They are fighting for their jobs back and to defeat attacks on their pay and working conditions at Gate Gourmet, which supplies in-flight meals to BA.
Mahinder Virk, one of those on yesterday’s campaign team, told News Line: ‘I met lots of trade union members today.
‘They were shocked that there had been no settlement of the Gate Gourmet dispute.
‘We must tell every trade union member what has happened because the TGWU leaders have told people that the dispute has been settled.’
John, a UNISON member at Uxbridge library, said: ‘This is Hillingdon all over again, where the union refuses to back the sacked workers.’
Harbajan-Singh-Chawla bought his ticket for the January 29 conference and said: ‘The Gate Gourmet workers have been treated very badly and it is a terrible injustice.
‘I feel so much pain for the sacked workers. No one should be treated like slaves.’
Meanwhile, back on the picket line at Heathrow yesterday, locked out worker Parmjit Bains told News Line: ‘Some of the locked out Gate Gourmet workers have been for interviews for “re-engagement’’, and the company is now offering them starting dates.
‘I say to my colleagues who are offered starting dates: stay with the majority and don’t give up your rights. We are going to win.
‘Anyone who takes re-engagement would have to sign the ‘Compromise Agreement’ and work under the slave-labour survival plan.
‘The union leaders have played a bad role in our fight. They signed the agreement with the company, which included 150 compulsory redundancies. That’s why we are holding our conference. We must have a leadership that will take us forward to victory. That means reinstatement, not “re-engagement’’, and payment of all our lost wages.’
