BA Cancels Heathrow Flights After Strikes
Posted on: Friday, 12 August 2005, 09:00 CDT
British Airways cancelled all its short and long haul flights from Heathrow airport last night because of an unofficial strike by baggage handlers which stranded thousands of passengers.
The airline started putting passengers up in hotels near Heathrow after deciding it could not run any flights to Europe, the UK and long haul destinations including the United States, Australia, South Africa and Asia.
Dozens of flights would normally have left the airport on short haul destinations between mid-afternoon and midnight, and 44 to long haul destinations.
But the airline decided to take the drastic step of cancelling services because of a wildcat stoppage by several hundred baggage handlers, loaders and cargo staff.
The walkout was in support of several hundred employees of BA's catering supplier Gate Gourmet who were sacked on Wednesday in a row over working practices.
BA would normally operate 550 flights on a Thursday, with August being one of the busiest months of the year for the airline industry.
A British Airways spokesman said last night an estimated 17,000 passengers had been affected.
The spokesman said the situation was being kept under constant review but passengers should expect some disruption today.
He said 275 BA flights are due to fly into Heathrow today and 275 flights are due out.
Tony Woodley, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, urged BA to put pressure on Gate Gourmet to reinstate the sacked workers.
He accused the US-owned firm of behaving in a 'disgraceful' fashion. The company had unilaterally decided to cut wages and conditions and had refused to negotiate with the union, he said. 'It is classic American union busting,' he added, warning the dispute could escalate.
BA outgoing chief executive Rod Eddington said the company was doing all it could to resolve the dispute
Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)
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