GATE GOURMET locked-out workers won a victory yesterday, when they successfully carried out their picket at the Gate Gourmet plant front gate, despite a police threat made on Thursday to arrest them if they did.
They erected their banner outside the gates of the airport catering factory, determined to maintain their right to picket.
When the police arrived there were no arrests.
In fact, the police accepted that they would be able to picket in the future provided they showed them a copy of the High Court injunction allowing them to do so.
On arrival, the police were shown a copy of part of the ruling by High Court judge Mr Justice Fulford from last August, when he decided that the picket outside the factory should be reduced from ten to six, but that the daily picket on Beacon Hill should remain.
He stated: ‘The rights to peaceful assembly have a long and important history in our democratic system and a court will be slow to stop any of those who seek within the law to express their opposition to action that has some effect on their lives from doing so.’
Locked-out worker Lakhinder Saran said: ‘We are here fighting for our rights and for justice, we have the right to picket on the gate, we have permission from the court, we have the right to picket until everything is sorted out.
‘I don’t know why they are saying things are settled. Nothing is settled the High Court injunction still applies.
‘We have heard that Gate Gourmet applied to the employment tribunal for more time to prepare their case and were granted an extra month so it’s them that are delaying things, we would be ready to go to the employment tribunals any time.
‘The High Court injunction stands. The picket will continue. We won a victory here today.’
Paramjit Brar told News Line: ‘Today I received a letter inviting me to come to a meeting with Gate Gourmet management regarding my 20th of October appeal, so they have taken nearly six months to contact me.’
Mohinder Kaur said: ‘It’s a difficult situation but the struggle is not finished.
‘The union leaders will not give us official backing, they are saying the dispute is finished but it’s not.
‘I won’t give up my rights.
‘The police took our names and addresses, but we were not arrested here today. This was a victory for us.’
PC Nyen Huis said he was told by British Airports Authority police duty officer Bogie on Thursday that the High Court injunction ‘is no longer in existence’.
PC Huis said the Transport and General Workers Union and Gate Gourmet management had told police that ‘the dispute is over’.
The dispute however is not over and will not be over until the workers have won their tribunals and have been returned to their jobs on their original terms and conditions.