Workers Revolutionary Party - 120-strong Gate Gourmet picket

The News Line: News Monday, 17 October 2005 120-strong Gate Gourmet picket

Mass demonstration by locked out Gate Gourmet workers at Heathrow earlier in their struggle

THERE was a large picket of about 120 sacked Gate Gourmet workers yesterday.

Daljit said: ‘We are waiting to see if British Airways sign the agreement with Gate Gourmet to renew the contract tomorrow.

‘We have stood on this picket line for over two months waiting for our jobs back.’Parmjit said: ‘I’m going to Slough job centre tomorrow to get my employment tribunal form to claim unfair dismissal.

‘We must all make claims because we have been unfairly dismissed.’

Mr Singh said: ‘Everyone is saying now the trade union is playing games with us.

‘This has been dragging on for too long.

‘Each day they say that we’re going to get the list of the 144 who will be sacked but we never get it.’

Raj said: ‘We don’t know anything about the 11-page agreement that Gate Gourmet and the union have signed and what is going to happen about it.

‘It makes us very angry. Everyone is upset. All we want is our jobs back on the old terms and conditions.

‘No one knows who the 144 sacked workers are, although the union knows.

‘Basically we should know who they are. I could be one of them.

‘The union should tell us straight away.

‘We need to lodge our claims for the employment tribunal. Time is running out and everyone is panicking.’

Amarit, from the South Asia Solidarity Group, said: ‘We support the Gate Gourmet sacked workers because this dispute is typical of what we see in the future and they have to win for all of us.

‘The Transport and General Workers’ Union have shown total lack of regard for them.’