Workers Revolutionary Party - ‘WE ARE STRONG AND WE WILL WIN’ say Gate Gourmet workers

The News Line: News Tuesday, 13 December 2005 ‘WE ARE STRONG AND WE WILL WIN’ say Gate Gourmet workers

Locked-out Gate Gourmet workers demand the end of the sell-out ‘Compromise Agreement’ on their march in Southall earlier this month

‘NOW that Eric Born (managing director Gate Gourmet UK and Ireland) has admitted that only 137 have signed the Compromise Agreement, it shows that the deal has truly collapsed,’ locked out Gate Gourmet worker Harbinder Singh told News Line yesterday.

He was speaking outside the TGWU regional offices in Hillingdon, near Heathrow Airport.

He said: ‘It shows many people want to take the company to court. The company dragged them out and they want to see them in court.

‘The union leaders who signed the Compromise Agreement have broken trade union principles and must resign.’

Mr Paramjit Singh added: ‘We have no choice, we have to go to the court.

‘Born is desperate for people to sign the Compromise Agreement.’

Surinder Singh said: ‘The vast majority of us are going to the employment tribunal.

‘The Compromise Agreement takes away the right to take the company to court under any pretext.
‘It is disgusting that the union leaders adhered to it.

‘Now they are trying to legalise what they have done and are pushing people to sign it.

‘I had a flyer from the union recently inviting me to take out life insurance and on it Tony Woodley (TGWU general secretary) alluded to the successes of the union, in particular at Gate Gourmet.

‘Success is not the word I would use. Woodley is trying to put a lid on this situation.

‘He must resign.’

Mr Jaswinder Phal said: ‘We want our jobs back on the old terms and conditions.

‘We don’t want the so-called compensation money, we want our lost wages and reinstatement on our original terms and conditions.

‘The union leaders are trying to help the company but we are going to court and they must resign.’

Mrs Sarbjit Kaur Kundhi added: ‘I don’t trust them, neither the union leaders nor the bosses.

‘They say whatever they want just to try to get us to give in.

‘But we are strong and we will win.’