Workers Revolutionary Party - TGWU register 735 tribunal cases

The News Line: News Thursday, 10 November 2005 TGWU register 735 tribunal cases

Part of yesterday’s mass picket on the hill at Heathrow

THERE was a mass picket of over 200 locked out Gate Gourmet workers at Heathrow airport yesterday.

Senior shop steward Mr Dhillon told News Line: ‘The union has registered everyone’s case for employment tribunals.

‘And the union officials are dealing with the cases.’

Asked if that meant the ‘compromise agreement’ had collapsed, he replied: ‘No we are waiting to see how the company responds.’

Gona, one of the locked out workers told News Line: ‘735 tribunal forms were taken to Reading yesterday, with six people going as witnesses to confirm that they went in.

‘That means that the deal has collapsed. I was one of those getting a letter for compulsory redundancy, and its terms and conditions were totally impossible to accept.

‘Even if I had signed it and accepted it, it still said at the bottom that the company still had the right to change its mind.

‘We want our jobs back. We want a national demonstration. It’s about time.’

Mr J Sidhu added: ‘We want to march through London outside Downing Street. We want the TGWU to invite all the airport workers from all over the country and all union members. Everyone knows about our struggle and wants to support us.

‘I am glad that the rubbish deal has collapsed.’

Sarbjit another picket said: ‘We are happy that the deal has collapsed. It was totally wrong. It was worse than the deal that they wanted us to accept in June.

‘If we had accepted it, we would have been chopping off our own hands. Now we want action from the union to win reinstatement for all of us, on our original terms and conditions.’