Sky Chef Dispute Continues
Skychef workers have been picketing their work place at Hatton Cross ever since 270 of them were sacked for going on a one-day official strike last November. Details of their dispute were in the last issue of Lalkar, in particular Adesh’s speech at the Reclaim our Rights Rally in London and the report of a meeting organised by the Ealing Southall SLP and the Indian Workers Association (GB).
During recent months the TGWU leadership has been promising to get international support for these victimised workers. Some unions, mainly in Europe – such as CGT in France, SAC in Sweden and SANGA in Italy, as well as Lufthansa employees in Germany and France – have expressed solidarity and plan to take action in support of their British comrades. However much more needs to be done in order to oppose the threat that this challenge, by the owners of Lufthansa, poses for the right of British workers to go on strike. Publicise the issue widely, get your unions, trades councils, etc. to support the Skychef workers and most importantly physically get groups of workers to attend the picket line – which is manned 24-hours of the day. All organisations and individuals must ensure that, if the leadership of many of the unions is not actively opposing this attack on our rights, then the members will. May 1st this year will see a major demonstration of workers under the `Reclaim our Rights’ banner. During that weekend, also go to the Skychef picket line on Monday, May 3rd, to give support and gain information so that the Skychef dispute is widely publicised.