Workers Solidarity Movement

JUSTICE FOR THE SACKED AIRPORT WORKERS
Rally 1pm Wed 9th April
Outside Transport House, High St Belfast
Come & hear the TRUTH
Latest Press Release

Sacked airport shop steward, Gordon McNeill, who, along with colleagues Madan Gupta and Chris Bowyer, is on the second day of a hunger strike outside Transport House today slammed the leadership of the Unite union for embarking on a campaign of “black propaganda and misinformation” about this dispute.

Gordon said: “Instead of meeting us face to face to discuss our reasonable demands the union leadership have resorted to using the police to threaten us with arrest alongside a campaign of deliberate misinformation to try to discredit us.

“They have issues press releases headed “Protesters demand £1million each from Unite” to try to make us appear unreasonable and unrealistic in our demands. This is just black propaganda. The union have not offered us a single penny in compensation for the fact that our union official colluded with our employer to have us sacked. If they had stuck to the commitments they gave us last September to make a reasonable offer of compensation, we would not be here.

“Likewise, if they had stuck to their commitments to meet our legal bills, we would not be taking this action. Contrary to what they say in their statements they have left us with a bill of tens of thousands that we simply cannot afford to pay.

“We are today issuing a direct challenge to the senior official of Unite in Ireland, Jimmy Kelly - come and meet us face to face to discuss our demands. Our union officials have had no difficulty when it comes to meeting and doing dirty deals with employers. Why can’t they have face to face meetings with their members.”

For interviews contact Gordon McNeill on 07934632366

Issued on behalf of Gordon McNeill and Madan Gupta