THE campaign team of locked-out Gate Gourmet workers was in Hounslow yesterday working for their mass picket this Sunday and their conference in London the following Sunday.
Speaking on the busy Hounslow High Street yesterday lunchtime, Mrs Lakhinder Saran told News Line: ‘We had a good response at Hounslow Civic Centre this morning.
‘We went to the UNISON union office and they invited us to their branch meeting on the 26th.
‘They will introduce us to all their members and will come to our conference as well. We aim to have a big achievement at the conference, this is not just a fight for us but for all workers.
‘Companies must not get away with what Gate Gourmet has done and the union leaders must be held to account for what they have done. We want our jobs back on the old terms and conditions. The union must support us, not the company.’
Mrs Amarwant Judge said: ‘Four of us went to the Hillingdon TGWU office on Monday because we got letters for interviews with Gate Gourmet on the 24th.
‘We saw regional TGWU official Oliver Richardson and told him we wanted someone to go with us, he said that 300 people have been invited for interviews and we cannot represent each one of you.
‘We thought he was very rude to us, all he is interested in is getting us to sign the Compromise Agreement but we won’t sign. I’m going to complain higher up in the union, we are fighting for our rights and we are entitled to the union representing us.
‘What the company has done to us is wrong, I was sacked while I was on my rest day.’
Mrs Darshan Judge, said: ‘We are very angry with our treatment from the union leaders who have tried to sell us out. The union officers never show their face any more and don’t pick up the phone when we call. We need a new leadership in the union.’
