Delegations from the USA, Denmark, France, Germany and Spain were among the several hundred people who attended a meeting to mark the first anniversary of the dispute involving 247 sacked Skychef workers on November 20.
The Rally, convened by the TGWU's London Keven Were nee retary Bill Morris who as usual said he would not let the strike be defeated, but litte else.
Mayoral hopeful Ken Livingstone said that if he were elected he would instruct all the bodies controlled by his 63 billion budget to boycott Skychef's parent company. be to take the London Assembly down to the picket line!
Two strikers spoke, and in a strike invoking large numbers of Asian women it was the woman speaker who sot the lonest ovation of the rally.
The international delegates had been attending a meeting convened by the ITF of unions representing LSG Skychef workers: they made it clear that the ones dispute is not the result of one renegade manager.
The TGWU national secretary said that the then woule now un me or or other companies at Heathrow that were using Skychefs, Including American Airlines Despite a promise on leaflecs that the raily vould allow debate, it was bureaucratically organised to ensure that only pre-selected speakers were heard. The only space for any kino or questoning of the way tie TGWU is handling the dispute came during the collection. Mick Whitley from Region 6. donating €1,000, argued that solidarity action was needed as well as donations. Another donor called for a one-day TGWU strike. But nobody mentioned the obvious call on unions at Heathrow to refuse to hanbecause of the TWU's fear of breaking the law There was a call from the floor for unions in firms like Rover, where delegations of workers are continuously using Lufthansa, tc try to change this policy One striker protested that all the opinions of their supporters were not heard at the rally, but the chair simply turned to attack those "who want to splic the strikers from The lesson of the Liverpool dockers, Hillingdon and other long-running strikes is that union leaders are more determined to keep control in their own hands than they are to fighe the employers. Hotline for Ken Ken Livingstone's campaign for the Labour nomination now has a central London office:
Phone 020 74362702 Fax: 020 74367167 If you are a supporter of Ken Livingstones campain and would noto not out don't hesitate to get in touch!