‘A LOT of people feel the same as me. We believe this deal will collapse,’ Mr Singh told News Line on the Gate Gourmet picket line yesterday.
He was referring to the deal agreed by the TGWU leaders and the Gate Gourmet bosses to compulsorily sack 144 workers and make 160 more ‘voluntarily’ redundant.
As well the deal stipulates that everybody must sign a ‘compromise agreement’ giving up their right to pursue unfair dismissal cases, and that completely flexible working across all of the different processes will be introduced at Heathrow’s Gate Gourmet operation.
Singh added: ‘There should be no settlement here until the suspended BA workers are back inside. We are all waiting to hear if we are on the sack list. If I am one of the 144 workers made compulsorily redundant I will fight my case. I won’t sign to accept. We were all unfairly dismissed.’ He added: ‘We have to get rid of Gold, Woodley and Barber, and some of the shop stewards, and replace them with people who will fight the bosses.’
Fellow picket Mark said: ‘If I’m on the list I won’t sign. I am going to fight to the finish. I’m not interested in compensation. I am going to fight all the way and I’ve got a lot of friends who feel the same way. We are with the BA workers. We are all in this together and none of us trust the union leaders. We are the union, not them.’
Shop steward Inder said: ‘BA management have been helping Gate Gourmet management all along. Now they plan to do what Gate Gourmet did. Really BA and Gate Gourmet are together. Their aim is one. They have no feeling for the working class. We have a responsibility for all the BA workers who stood with us. Two are suspended, but they are all under threat.
‘On Tuesday the board of directors of Texas Pacific, the venture capitalists who own Gate Gourmet, are meeting in America to ratify the deal. Gate Gourmet is waiting for their ratification. Then they will send out 137 compulsory redundancy letters. They are also going to tell seven people they are going to get nothing.’
Pickets were also discussing the implications of the arrival of former Aer Lingus boss Willie Walsh today as BA Chief Executive. Walsh arrives having sacked 2,000 of the 6,000 workers at Aer Lingus during the past four years.
The City of London has made no secret of the fact that he plans to get rid of 500 out of 2,500 BA baggage handlers and at last 2,000 check-in staff, hundreds of cargo loaders, 1,000 call centre operators and hundreds of bus drivers who ferry pilots and cabin crew around the airport.
Gate Gourmet picketer, Chanan Rattu told News Line: ‘If the BA workers come out on strike we will give them full support. They gave us support and we will support them.’
