THE Gate Gourmet locked-out workers May Day campaign team got great support from fellow Transport and General Workers Union members in west London bus garages yesterday.
At Fullwell Bus Garage in Twickenham, TGWU convenor for Travel London West, Paul Brown said: ‘It is so wrong the way you were sacked by megaphone with a minute’s notice, that’s what we are marching about on Monday. I’ll be there and coming to your meeting at the end of the rally.’
Jagi Vadgama, chairman of Travel London West T&G added: ‘The Gate Gourmet struggle is very, very important for the T&G. They are fighting against employers sacking workers to bring in cheap labour and new conditions.
‘This is an issue for the whole union but the union leadership is not showing the leadership it should. It is like a stab in the back.’
At Hounslow Bus Garage TGWU member Perry Jones said: ‘We’ve got a big poster up inside advertising your May Day rally.
‘It’s disgusting what has happened to you but it’s the same everywhere. I’ve been on the buses for 23 years and I’ve seen massive changes. They are bringing in cheap labour everywhere.’
At Greenford Bus Garage TGWU rep Isaac Dawodhu said: ‘These fellow members must be reinstated in their jobs and the union must fight for them.’
TGWU member Paul Reilly added: ‘I’ve been reading all about you in the papers and I sympathise with you completely. ‘Our union must defend your jobs, we pay into the union to fight for our members.’
Locked-out worker Mohinder Virk told News Line: ‘Tony Woodley (TGWU General Secretary) is a traitor.
He has spoiled my life and so have most of our senior shop stewards they have also spoiled our lives.
‘First management destroyed our lives, and then our own union leader Tony Woodley stopped our hardship pay, and now we are really struggling but we are going to win and beat them.’
Locked-our worker Jasbir Dosanjh said: ‘We are marching on May Day to tell the people what happened to us. How Gate Gourmet and the union leaders tried to take away our rights.
‘We’ve got no job and no money. My daughter has had to drop out of university, I was paying £1,400 for her fees and £40 a week for her travel card, now she’s had to take a year out and get a job. It’s all because of Gate Gourmet and then the T&G leaders.’
