New Dawn for Decency?

By Brendan Gold

The summary sacking of 670 Gate Gourmet workers in August 2005 triggered a historic dispute and the creation of a new agenda for protecting workers.

Gate Gourmet was formed when British Airways (BA) sold off its in-house catering arm to Swissair in 1997. Corporate raiders Texas Pacific Group swooped on Swissair during financial troubles and bought catering company. BA remained dependent on Gate Gourmet for the majority of its cooked meals. And packed bagged lunches on short haul, but wanted to pay less so Gate Gourmet were left with a slashed contract from its chief client.. Cutting costs by engineering a dispute and sacking staff was an avenue.

Workers were concerned that cheaper migrant labour was to be introduced, and gathered to demand an explanation. They were then deemed to have taken unofficial industrial action. Word spread of the poor treatment and colleagues in BA walked out in sympathy.

Gold, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union (T & G) outlines how the dispute continued for months with support from the union and many in the community, and reports on the solidarity of the Sikh community and how BA and Gate Gourmet were not able to cope with what they felt were pliable middle-aged women. Gate Gourmet kept attempting to back out of settlements but workers remained firm.

(Transport International; issue 22/January-March 2006)