BA Crises

[clapham_gull]

Must be a nightmare if you're trying to get away on your holiday, I hope it doesn't happen to me next week.

.. and it seems that workers at Heathrow going on strike is a yearly event.

However, there's a smirk on my face when I see the bullish American CEO of the catering company interviewed on the news.

If I chose to sack my staff in the car park with a mega-phone (did anyone see that? - "your P45s are in the post"), then I wouldn't be surprised if I'd pissed a few of them off.

 

[elbowpatches]

Am in Sweden at mo, wouldn't be unhappy if the strike went past next week (unlikely but hoping), I'd be stuck here staying in the same hotel as the ladies playing at the Nordic Light Open tennis championship here in Stockholm.

 

[dougdeep]

Good to see the union members sticking together. Bosses should never get away with treating their staff like that.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Good to see the union members sticking together. Bosses should never get away with treating their staff like that.

Absolutely. The wise-guy management with the megaphone-stylee approach to industrial relations won't look quite so smart when their shitty little catering company gets blacklisted by every airline in the western world

 

[Icy Gull]

BA, the world's most arrogant airline bring misery to holiday makers for the third year on the trot

 

[The British National Party]

I’m surprised that British Airways haven’t been called racists yet, well, did you notice all the sacked staff are Muslims? Cherie Blair will have a field day when she returns from holiday.

 

[clapham_gull]

There was a huge knock on effect at Euston tonight - I guess where people are going to instead of getting internal flights.

My girlfriend queued for over half an hour to get her train tickets. The machines are breaking down constantly.

She was told that she couldn't get on the train without tickets and it was her fault because she should have turned up earlier.

She missed her train and was forced to get another an hour later. She wasn't the only one. You were looking at a 40 to 45 minute wait there tonight just to collect tickets.

I lost my temper with customer services but went back and got talking to the bloke. The bloke opened up and told me that the management are "absolutely clueless" and he's treated like a non person when he tries to offer ideas.

 

[clapham_gull]

A spokesman for the union said: "In August Gate Gourmet informed the T&G that they wished to employ 120 additional temporary staff. The T&G responded by asking why they wanted to make people redundant and employ new staff, as this sends a confusing message to our members. We therefore said we would be happy for them to employ new workers if they removed the threat of redundancy.

"Yesterday the company brought in new workers without discussion.

"T&G representatives went to seek a meeting with Gate Gourmet managers. Staff assembled in the canteen in preparation for a meeting.

"Whilst our reps were talking to management, staff were told they had three minutes to get back to work or they would be sacked. They refused and remained in the building. Members starting the late shift also refused to come into work having heard the news. Those assembled in the car park were sacked by megaphone.

"The T&G believes that the company’s actions were provocative and premeditated.

"Gate Gourmet is using heavy-handed US-style union-busting tactics to make workers redundant, and those tactics are unacceptable to the T&G. The T&G is seeking the immediate reinstatement of the sacked workers, and is clear that this situation, brought about by Gate Gourmet’s management, will only be resolved by immediate constructive dialogue."

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

"Gate Gourmet is using heavy-handed US-style union-busting tactics to make workers redundant

Well the muppet management at shitty little Gate Gourmet are being shown the error of their ways bigtime now. OK, it's not a barrel of laughs for the workers losing their jobs, but LHR always has job opportunities going, and another company will move in and fill the vacuum. And the U.S wise-guy management will lose their precious share-options. And hopefully their houses.

 

[dougdeep]

I sometimes deliver to Gate Gourmet at Gatwick. Most of their staff seem to be Asian. I don't mind that but it would be nice if just one or two could understand English. (Ducks head beneath parapet.)

 

[Crazy Cornish Gal]

My friends b/f is a pilot for BA and is curently stranded in japan because the plane he should be flying back cannot leave heathrow, he is not best pleased to say the least!

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

I’m surprised that British Airways haven’t been called racists yet, well, did you notice all the sacked staff are Muslims? Cherie Blair will have a field day when she returns from holiday.

Check back on that one - BA did not sack the staff, they belong to another company (Gate Gourmet). And yes, they are all ethnic, but what do you expect in a low paid manual job like that - the reason that the baggage handlers, etc, have come out is that they are all related (seriously). One of the catering company workers said that she worked for the biggest Asian family outside of Pakistan, and she wasn't joking!

 

[The British National Party]

I just hope BA don't reinstate the catering staff. Holding BA to ransom is outrageous. On the news now, some muppet is saying we'll not fly BA anymore, it's not their fault.

 

[clapham_gull]

I just hope BA don't reinstate the catering staff. Holding BA to ransom is outrageous. On the news now, some muppet is saying we'll not fly BA anymore, it's not their fault.

BA CAN'T REINSTATE THE STAFF - THEY DONT WORK FOR THEM !!!!

 

[clapham_gull]

BA probably wishing to cut costs outsourced the catering to another company. This company is basically in the business of buying up failing companies and selling them on for a profit - they would admit that.

The workers are lowly paid, and I'm not surprised they are of Asian origin.

Immigrants are usually quite happy to take lowly paid jobs and work long hours (compared to the English women in the Sun this morning with 15 kids who takes almost 50,000 tax free from the social every year.. anyway)

These workers are not holding BA to ransom at all. Already lowly paid and threatened with reduntancy they have seen their company take on more staff, albeit seasonal temporary workers.

They tried to resolve the situation with their union but ended up being sacked in the car park (informed by mega-phone that their P45s were in the post)

Staff at Heathrow have walked out in support - good for them.

 

[bhaexpress]

I used to work for an airline. As I said yesterday the airline is responsible for ALL problems as far as Mr and Mrs Passenger are concerned, even Acts of God. The way the muppet from the US sacked the staff doesn't surprise me as it's yet another wonderful display of 'The American Way'. What people might be slightly surprised to know is that many US states have NO employee protection laws at all, that includes Florida which appears to be more civilised than most. Somebody who's worked for a company for twenty years can be fired without any recourse whatsoever. Now that doesn't just mean the loss of a wage but often the complete loss of medical cover of any sort.

Trouble is, as Americans are given to extreme ignorance of other countries culture, customs and laws they go to other countries and treat people like dirt. I worked for American Express through the early seventies. They were new to the UK then and tried the same bully boy tactics here only to utterly shocked when they were confronted by a strike.

Personally I hope BA dump their contract with Gate Gourmet with immediate effect and that we see that company chucked out of the UK.

 

[simon swagbag]

I was watching ITV news & was appalled.
They spent a long time covering the people stranded at the airport but glossed over the reason for the dispute.
ITV was going for the 'human interest' angle, but as a human I am interested in workers who get treated like shit.

I hope BBC1 & Channel 4 news gave a more balanced report. I had no choice, I was watching in a hospital waiting area.

 

[clapham_gull]

I was watching ITV news & was appalled.
They spent a long time covering the people stranded at the airport but glossed over the reason for the dispute.
ITV was going for the 'human interest' angle, but as a human I am interested in workers who get treated like shit.

I hope BBC1 & Channel 4 news gave a more balanced report. I had no choice, I was watching in a hospital waiting area.

Here you go, from the BBC (They even sacked workers who weren't there - the entire shift got the boot). It backs up the Unions claim that the company were preparing to sack the workers even prior to the protest.

************************

The other side of Heathrow story
BA planes

Workers say they were treated unfairly
Heathrow catering firm Gate Gourmet dismissed 600 staff after unofficial strike action over restructuring plans it says are necessary to save the business.

Here, one of those dismissed tells his story.

Lee Hughes, a driver-loader, says he was sacked by Gate Gourmet in a letter delivered to his home while he was at home after twisting his back loading an aircraft.

"It's disgusting. We've all got mortgages and credit cards. It's just a shock."

Gate Gourmet will not comment on his case, but has said that all workers can appeal against their dismissal.

Mr Hughes has two children living at home and says most of his colleagues also have families.

"At the end of this month we're going to struggle with mortgage payments, credit card payments, everything.

"And we can't claim on the insurance because we've all been sacked. If we go to another employer they'll say, well, no, you've been sacked.

"It just makes life hard... it's just a shock."

Workers on holiday

Mr Hughes said he had always enjoyed his job, saying it was a friendly environment, and has not decided what to do next.

"I'm 39, I could always go out and drive a lorry. I'm not sure I want to go back."

Wife Carol said: "Our lives have been turned upside down and those of friends at Gate Gourmet who are on holiday abroad.

"They have to face the fact that they will not be returning to work when they get back.

"My heart goes out to the people at Rover. I felt so sorry for them and now can wish them well from the heart.

"Yesterday we put in an offer on a house and today have to notify everyone about what has happened. We are totally devastated.

"The tears have stopped and now it is the fear for the future."

************************

 

[Zeitgeist]

I’m surprised that British Airways haven’t been called racists yet, well, did you notice all the sacked staff are Muslims? Cherie Blair will have a field day when she returns from holiday.

Since when has a muslim worn a turban?

 

[clapham_gull]

Since when has a muslim worn a turban?

beat me to it ....