THERE were more than 20 locked out Gate Gourmet workers on the picket line yesterday fighting for reinstatement on their original terms and conditions.
The airline catering company, Gate Gourmet, sacked more than 700 workers last August and the TGWU leadership has signed a compromise agreement with the company accepting 150 compulsory redundancies.
Umla came to the picket line from a team which had been campaigning at Heathrow Terminal Four yesterday morning.
She said: ‘we worked hard at Terminal Four for our conference on the 29th January. We told the workers that what has happened to us could happen to them.
‘When Tony Woodley, the TGWU general secretary, came to the picket line when we were first locked out, he said that we would all go back together.
‘The Woodley leadership sold us out and it will sell them out if it can.
‘The union has always supported the workers but this leadership is trying to sell the workers out.
‘Our conference is to build new leadership in the TGWU. We want justice. It is nearly six months now since we were locked out.
‘We have all got terrible financial problems but we are standing firm.’
At Terminal Four yesterday morning British Airways loader Steve Scripps bought his ticket for the conference and said: ‘Anything to do with workers’ rights and their job security and conditions has got to be of paramount importance.
‘It is wrong to take people out of their job and replace them with cheap labour.
‘It is a disgrace that the union leaders had agreed to it and it is a warning to us.’
Aircraft dispatch worker, and TGWU member, Sukkhi Sidia said: ‘I sympathise with the Gate Gourmet workers’ as he bought a ticket.
‘The BA management wants to paint a rosy picture, but the reality is different. We know that they are planning a future of redundancies and job and pension cuts. There is going to be a big struggle.’
Parmjit Baines said on the picket line: ‘It is a good turn-out on the picket line today. We are fighting to win and we won’t give up.
‘The company sacked us for no reason, and the union leaders have agreed to it, but we won’t agree.’
•Second News Story
TERMINAL 5 STRIKE
Heathrow Terminal 5 construction workers are holding a second stoppage and overtime ban over four days between 6.45am Friday 20th January and 6.45am Tuesday 24th in a dispute over bonus pay.
The TGWU and GMB trade unions said yesterday the dispute is with the contractors Laing O’Rourke who have so far failed to match the £1 an hour rise in bonus claim for the construction workers.
The mechanical engineering workers on the site have already been awarded this £1 per hour from June.
GMB construction organiser Tom Kelly said: ‘The strength of feeling amongst GMB members is growing. Since the ballot more than 300 new members have joined the unions taking action.’
TGWU regional industrial organiser Alan Brkljac added: ‘Our members have voted to strike, more people on site are joining the T&G by the day as they see us fighting back for them and the onus now is on Laing O’Rourke to respond positively to our claim.’
The TGWU and GMB represent a range of workers across the site including scaffolders, plant operatives, chargehands and concrete finishers plus other craft workers as well as general labourers.