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.

Sample Letters can be sent to:

Eric Born, Managing Director, Gate Gourmet UK
Viking House, Perimeter Road South
London Gatwick Airport
West Sussex RH6 0PE,
United Kingdom
Fax: +44 1293 446 113


Paul Lilley, President Division Europe, Gate Gourmet
Switzerland GmbH
P.O. Box QVPC
CH-8058 Zürich-Airport
Fax: +41 1 810 91 75


Managing Partners Mssrs. D Bonderman, J Coulter, B. Price
Texas Pacific Group
301 Commerce St., Ste. 3300
Fort Worth, TX 76102, USA
Fax: +1 817 871 4001


David Siegel, Chairman and CEO, Gate Gourmet
11710 Plaza America Drive, Suite 800
Reston Virginia 20190 USA
Fax +1 703 964 23 99

SAMPLE TEXT

Dear Sir/s

As a member of the International Transport Workers Federation, and on behalf of the (Name of Union) which represents XXX workers in XXX sector, I am writing to you to express my unions concern at the unacceptable way Gate Gourmet has treated employees at London's Heathrow Airport, who are members of the ITF-affiliated Transport and General Workers Union. It seems that the company has orchestrated this dispute, no doubt as a result of the financial crisis and apparently in response to pressures from Texas Pacific Group in the United States.

My union is appalled at the confrontational tactics used in this dispute, which, I am sure you will agree with me, has been detrimental both to Gate Gourmet as a company and to the airline industry in general.

I would hope that in order to retrieve Gate Gourmets reputation as an employer, as a supplier of services to its customers and to the general public, that you will now step in to ensure that Gate Gourmet initiates negotiations in good faith with the Transport and General Workers Union and begin by reinstating its sacked workers.

I would be very happy to receive your comments on this urgent matter, so that we can inform our members accordingly.

Thank you for your attention,

Yours sincerely,

( etc. )


Below are copies of the letters that ITF have sent to Gate Gourmet.