ISR backs Gate Gourmet workers

MEMBERS OF International Socialist Resistance (ISR) have been protesting in many areas outside Burger King.

This fast food giant is owned by the same company - Texas Pacific - as Gate Gourmet who sacked hundreds of workers after giving them three minutes to decide over an appalling downgrade in their contract, even sacking workers that were on maternity leave, holiday, or ill.

ISR members report.

"TEXAS PACIFIC hear us say - unfair dismissals - no way!" This ISR chant was heard around Piccadilly Circus on 24 August. The bosses' vicious attack on workers' rights was done to save millions of pounds to pad out the top bosses' back pockets.

Sophie Ramsey

ISR made a right racket, getting many passers-by interested in what we had to say.

We talked to people about the importance of British Airways workers coming out on strike in solidarity with the Gate Gourmet workers, showing that without the workers the companies can't run let alone make profit!

Solidarity and action means companies can't get away with job cuts, unfair dismissals and forcing bad pay and working conditions on people.

ISR collected names of interested people. They were happy to hear the truth behind the dispute, and we intend to carry on our struggle and let people know that they don't have to take it lying down.

Brighton

ON 27 August five Socialist Party/ ISR members in Brighton protested outside the city's largest Burger King in support of the sacked Gate Gourmet workers.

Sean Figg, Brighton & Hove Socialist Party

Many people, used to ignoring the legions of commercial leafleters and clipboard holders offering free stress tests in the city centre, came back to sign our petitions when they realised what we were campaigning on.

We gave out over 100 leaflets, collected over 40 signatures and raised £11. People were shocked by Gate Gourmet's actions before we explained the details - even more so after! We plan further activity on this issue as long as the dispute lasts.

Lincoln

LINCOLN ISR gave out leaflets explaining the situation at Gate Gourmet to Burger King customers and workers in the Waterside with no trouble. We walked around the restaurant, explaining the situation to people and sold two copies of the socialist.

However, at St Marks Burger King, the store management came out as soon as we started to demand a copy of our leaflet. They told us we weren't allowed to demonstrate on Burger King property and that they'd be calling site security.

We continued for about 15 minutes, getting a positive response from passers-by, when a security guard came over and said St Marks Centre is private property and it's a criminal offence to distribute any form of leaflets.

We told him he'd have to call the police if he wanted us to move. Another two security guards came across, and as one ISR member kept them talking, two others kept giving out leaflets for almost an hour!

Gate Gourmet workers fight sackings

THE 667 sacked Gate Gourmet workers at Heathrow are waiting for talks between their union TGWU and the company to restart. All 2,000 workers have been offered redundancy terms by the company, which is threatened with losing its contract with British Airways (BA). BA 'outsourced' the in-flight catering to Gate Gourmet in the first place.

Gate Gourmet bosses claim they are losing £25 million a year. And they were clearly hoping they could engineer a dispute so the workers could be sacked on a pretext, saving thousands in redundancy payments. Company Chairman David Siegel confirmed this attitude when he talked of the 50-100 "hardcore militants" in the factory along with a further 100 who were "disruptive".

The workers are very low-paid - catering assistants are only paid £12,000 a year. But the company wanted to bring in workers from eastern Europe to undercut even these measly wages.

The workers picket and protest every day outside the factory (nearest tube Hatton Cross). They also need messages of support to:

Gate Gourmet workers, c/o E McDermott, Regional Secretary TGWU, 218 Green Lanes, London N4 2HB. Protest to: Eric Born, Managing Director, Gate Gourmet UK, Viking House, Perimeter Road South, Gatwick Airport, RH6 0PE. See also www.tgwu.org.uk

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Gate Gourmet workers fight sackings

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