01 Sep 2005 Update, 1 September 2005: See news below

16 Aug 2005
Gate Gourmet Dispute at Heathrow

Support the workers who were sacked by Gate Gourmet in Britain.

12/08/05: ITF Press Release - WORKERS WORLDWIDE BACK THEIR HEATHROW COLLEAGUES

Dear Colleagues

The airline caterer Gate Gourmet has sacked nearly eight hundred catering workers at London's Heathrow Airport. The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) accused the company of designing and manufacturing the situation. The union made it clear that the flashpoint issue – the hiring of 130 seasonal workers – was a provocative move because never before had such extra staff been taken on while permanent staff were under threat of redundancy.

TGWU leaders warned that the mediation process to find a way forward to resolve the company’s financial difficulties had been put under serious threat by the company’s provocative actions. In addition the company had failed to share any pain with management grades, which has led to the failure of a planned rescue package.

Union officers said that the company had planned every move in advance with the letters sacking workers pre-prepared, hiring an outside security company, and alerting the police, who turned up in significant numbers to deal with a workforce with a substantial number of women workers.

The situation is now escalating and developing into a strategic dispute:

• The ITF is calling all its affiliates to provide lawful active support to the TGWU.
  
  
• Please inform Brendan Gold the TGWU National Officer at bgold@tgwu.org.uk, or e-mail the ITF at aviation@itf.org.uk of any return flight catering requests by Gate Gourmet
  
  
• Please send letters of support to Brendan Gold National Officer, TGWU at bgold@tgwu.org.uk
  
  
• Please inform Brendan Gold or the ITF of any other active lawful support you can provide if you are also dealing with this company at your airport.
  

Yours in solidarity,


Ingo Marowsky
Secretary, Civil Aviation Section