‘THE union solicitor is filing our cases for employment tribunals. The cases must be filed before 90 days, we’ve waited for the company to provide us with answers to our situation but we can’t neglect our rights, so we have to file our case now.’
This is what locked out Gate Gourmet workers’ TGWU branch secretary, Jarnail Singh told News Line on the picket line at Heathrow Airport yesterday.
He added: ‘We are going to maintain our picket and fight for our rights.’
Jaswinder Phal added: ‘We want to call a national demonstration to publicise the fact that our struggle is continuing.’
Parmjit Bains, said: ‘We have heard that the British Airways shop stewards, whose members came out in sympathy action for us, have been sacked.
‘If it’s true, then not only the whole airport but the whole country should come out.
‘When the BA workers came out to support us when we were locked out they showed how trade unions should behave.
‘When we saw Woodley at the TUC on Wednesday, he was angry that we had come. We need a general secretary who will fight for his members. Woodley should resign. We want a march, a national demonstration to show that we are fighting until we win our jobs back.’
Chanan Rattu said: ‘Gate Gourmet and BA don’t want the union inside that’s why they are sacking people, they want to run their companies with cheap labour. We invite the BA workers to join us on the hill.’
Fellow picket Jay said: ‘The BA workers came out to help us. We should all fight together then we will win. People shouldn’t be frightened, we need a general strike.’
Yesterday, a British Airways spokesman confirmed to News Line that ‘disciplinary procedures are continuing’ against the three shop stewards.
