London, England - A wildcat strike has crippled British Airways Heathrow airport operations at the peak of their summer holiday season. 800 workers at caterer, Gate Gourmet, were fired driving more than 1,000 BA baggage handlers, loaders, drivers, and check-in staff to walk off the job in solidarity despite being officially represented by different unions. Fired employees, who are mostly Asian immigrants and women, were making just £12,000 to £16,000 a year. The company offered to reinstate the workers and change their ways if they agreed to come back to work. Union officials accused Gate Gourmet of using "heavy-handed US-style union-busting tactics," and refused to ask their members to return work in exchange for empty promises.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
London, England - A wildcat strike has crippled British Airways Heathrow airport operations at the peak of their summer holiday season. 800 workers at caterer, Gate Gourmet, were fired driving more than 1,000 BA baggage handlers, loaders, drivers, and check-in staff to walk off the job in solidarity despite being officially represented by different unions. Fired employees, who are mostly Asian immigrants and women, were making just £12,000 to £16,000 a year. The company offered to reinstate the workers and change their ways if they agreed to come back to work. Union officials accused Gate Gourmet of using "heavy-handed US-style union-busting tactics," and refused to ask their members to return work in exchange for empty promises.