Workers Revolutionary Party - Union solicitors urging members to sign deal

The News Line: News Thursday, 2 March 2006 Union solicitors urging members to sign deal

Gate Gourmet locked out workers in good spirits despite the bitter cold on the picket line at Heathrow yesterday

‘WE are asking all trade unions and all trade unionists to join our march and rally in Hounslow on Saturday 25th of March,’ Sharanjit Grewal said on the Gate Gourmet picket line at Heathrow Airport yesterday.

She continued: ‘We locked out workers are going to win our jobs back on our old terms and conditions, we don’t care what they do, we are fighting until we win.

‘The TGWU leaders who signed the deal with the company are working together to beat us, we are fighting both of them. Ordinary union members support us and also other unions support us.’

Kulvinder Grewal added: ‘We are getting stronger and more determined and we want everyone to come to our march.’

Amarwant Kaur told News Line that she had received a hardship payment cheque for the period up to the 14th of February from the union last week.

She said: ‘I am not one of the compulsory redundancies and I received a hardship payment cheque from the union, they haven’t paid hardship payments to any of the compulsory redundancies, they just want to divide us, that’s all it’s about.

‘We are all the same whether it’s compulsory or not, we want reinstatement on our original terms and conditions and compensation for all the money we have lost since we were locked out on August 10th.’

She added that she had not received an invitation to meet with the union solicitor. ‘They know I’m not going to agree with them, I will never sign the Compromise Agreement,’ she said.

Sukhdev Brar said: ‘Some people haven’t even had the hardship payment for the period up to the 6th of January which was the last cheque most of us had. The T&G leaders are doing everything they can to try and weaken us but we won’t give in.’

Mrs Dhillon told News Line: ‘I went to the union office and the solicitor told me to sign, she said I should take £5,500 and give in but I said no, we are fighting for principles. I’ve already lost £7,000.

‘The union solicitors are putting so much pressure on people trying to get them to sign. Many people had appointments with them on Monday but we didn’t sign and we won’t sign.’