Workers' Liberty

At the Gate Gourmet picket at Heathrow last week there was still confusion about what was happening to implement the deal outstanding since September. No one has had it confirmed that they will receive compulsory or voluntary redundancy payments, let alone if they are to be reinstated.

The mood is one of waiting (with a funny mixture of impatience and resignation). I was told Employment Tribunal claims were to be lodged in the court on 8 November, on the apparent instigation of the Union, presumably to get them in by the three month limit for such claims.

One of the GG workers told me thought it was all unlikely to be resolved before December.

The TGWU steward who was there (taking a note of who attended the picket) said that the BA stewards who had organised the soldarity action were due to be sacked. Apparently one was about to go but another was trying to hold on to his job. He also said that things were falling apart within the GG factory. Their were rumours of people failing to do the job properly and fighting so police had to be called.

I asked whether they were having a meeting soon and they said they would be but had no details as yet.

M.