Earlier in the year Gate Gourmet boss Eric Born negotiated with the union a restructuring plan involving 675 redundancies (layoffs) from the workforce of 2,000. TGWU members rejected this deal in June. Workers feared that an increase in temporary workers at one work site was part of a plan to cut the workforce and break the union.

The locked-out workers stood up to intimidation, beating back a court injunction against their daily protest pickets, at times 300 strong, on a small hill overlooking a major airport road.

Gate Gourmet and BA bosses were surprised when BA baggage handlers struck for two days in solidarity, bringing flights to a standstill and costing the airline an estimated $72 million. British Airways flights were never fully catered during the dispute.

Defiant groups of workers took their protest to the TUC and Labour Party conferences, collected fighting fund donations, and gathered solidarity at union meetings and at the September 24 antiwar demonstration. Solidarity rallies for the Heathrow workers also took place in the United States, where Gate Gourmet employs 6,000 people. While many of the locked-out workers had experience in previous union battles, for many this was their first taste of mobilising union power. They were keen to tell the Militant how they had learned from this solidarity and unity.

Under the agreement, 187 of the 713 sacked workers will get their jobs back. Another 210 were offered the choice of re-employment or voluntary redundancy. A further 172 workers who previously signed up will get redundancy (severance) pay in addition to 144 compulsory redundancies. Workers are being informed individually and have the right to appeal with the help of union lawyers. Gate Gourmet insists that the deal will not be finalized until those forced to resign sign “compromise agreements” waiving their right to appeal to employment tribunals.

In a joint statement issued September 27, Gate Gourmet and the TGWU said, “Both the company and the union are pleased that a way forward has been found and if the agreement is ratified both sides are committed to work together to rebuild trust and confidence after all the difficulties.” Union officials estimate that a return to work will begin October 10.

Despite the settlement vote, Gate Gourmet workers are maintaining the daily picket with two 60-strong shifts. “We are staying on the hill until everything is clear and sorted out,” Jagjeet Bhamra told the Militant. “We can’t trust the bosses until we can see our job or our money. The company says that compulsory redundancy will be for things like time off sick, but it does not want the union. By staying on the hill we want to show the public what has happened.”

While the agreement specifies re-engagement on the same pay, benefits, and conditions, workers on the hill told the Militant that Gate Gourmet has already started to change work practices. New hires are not covered by the deal. Shop steward Jim Vicars said that new hires will face lower pay rates and different conditions.

Meanwhile, British Airways has started disciplinary proceedings against three TGWU shop stewards following August’s unofficial solidarity strike at Heathrow. Two have been suspended from work.
 
 
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