WELL over 100 locked out Gate Gourmet workers were picketing yesterday near to Heathrow airport.
TGWU member Manny Odedra told News Line: ‘The people the company has unfairly selected for compulsory redundancy are all hard working and they want their jobs back.
‘They have all appealed and they have their hearings on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
‘They are all taking a union officer with them to represent them.
‘Even if they win they will be told that they would have to sign a new contract which will cut their conditions and everything.
‘We are all in the fight for reinstatement on our established terms and conditions, and we are going to win.
‘The company does not know the power of the workers.’
Fellow picket, jasbir added: ‘I want my job back and that is it.
‘The union has the power, and the TUC has the power, they must use it.
‘My job is inside. I am going to get it back.’
Jaswinder said: ‘The union did a very bad deal with the company. They tried to sell us but we won’t be sold. We are not slaves.
‘We are workers and trade union members, who have paid subs into the union all our working lives, so we are the union.
‘The leaders who want to see compulsory redundancies must get out.’
‘We want leaders who will stand up and fight.’
Mr Kenth said: ‘The trade union has to take action to win this struggle.
‘And they have to take up your cases at the employment tribunal.
‘We have to stick together. If the union does not register everyone’s case, they will be in trouble.’
Kiran added: ‘We are all in the same boat here, whether we have been selected under the deal for compulsory redundancy or not.
‘We have all been sacked, all been locked out by force, and all sold out by the union leaders, who tried to force this deal onto us.
‘We are all fighting for our jobs back and we will win.’
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