BA Cancel Heathrow Flights
Posted on: Friday, 12 August 2005, 06:00 CDT
TRAVELLERS faced chaos last night as British Airways cancelled all flights out of Heathrow.
The airline took the drastic action after an unofficial strike by baggage handlers.
They walked out in support of 800 catering staff sacked by a BA catering supplier on Wednesday.
Seven flights between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen were hit by the action.
Last night, an estimated 17,000 passengers faced delays as both long-haul and short-haul flights out of Heathrow were pulled.
The airline had been scheduled to operate 550 flights yesterday.
Before the handlers' action, flights had left Heathrow without any food on board.
Gate Gourmet, who also supply Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific, sacked the workers in a row over working practices The axed staff are in the same union as the BA baggage handlers.
Frantic behind-the-scenes moves were under way last night in a bid to resolve the escalating dispute.
But the row has threatened to reach other UK airports where Gate Gourmet are based, including Glasgow, Gatwick, Bristol and Newcastle.
Qantas, Finnair, GB Airways, British Mediterranean and Sri Lankan Airlines also cancelled all flights out of Heathrow yesterday.
Tony Woodley, general secretary of the Transport & 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.
Woodley claimed the firm used 'classic American union-busting' tactics to cut wages and conditions and had refused to negotiate with the union.
BA's outgoing chief executive Rod Eddington said the company were doing all they could to resolve the dispute.
The airline put some up in hotels near the airport last night.
Staff also handed out water and folding chairs.
The TGWU said Gate Gourmet workers were faced with an ultimatum of signing a new contract with worse pay and conditions or be sacked.
A Gate Gourmet spokesman claimed workers staged an unofficial strike on Wednesday, which led to the sackings
Source: Daily Record; Glasgow (UK)
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