BBC NEWS | Business | 'Surreal setting' for caterers' protest

BBC NEWS | Business | 'Surreal setting' for caterers' protest: "They have spent much of the last week on a picket line outside Gate Gourmet's plant at Heathrow Airport.
On a rainy Monday afternoon more than 200 of the 670 sacked workers from the in-flight catering firm briefly re-located their activities to a Sikh temple in nearby Southall.
The catering staff, many of whom are of Indian origin, were sacked by Gate Gourmet in a dispute over working practices.
The company now says it will be forced into administration if negotiations over a contract with British Airways fails.
The sacked workers sat on the floor of a colourful function room - some with their young children - to listen to messages of support and fresh calls for their reinstatement at a protest meeting organised by their trade union.
The General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, Tony Woodley, observing Sikh custom by donning a head scarf, said it was a 'surreal setting' for a dispute which was very 'surreal'.
Testing time
'There is no person in this room who has done anything wrong,' he said.
Mr Woodley told the meeting he was doing all he could to reach a compromise.
The sacked workers also heard from Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, and Anne Keane, the Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth.
Mr Barber said: 'The eyes of the trade union movement are on this dispute. The answer cannot be mass sackings, but sitting down to settle issues and manage change by agreement.'
Workers said they were left the meeting with a renewed sense of optimism.
I have bills to pay and a mortgage, so I may not be left with any choice

Ferdinand Babaran
Sacked Gate Gourmet worker
But some said a protracted dispute could test their will - and their wallets.
'I'm hoping this will all be"