Gate Gourmet row rumbles on

By Veena Josh
BBC Asian Network

Gate Gourmet's sackings led to other workers also taking action

Heathrow, the world's busiest airport, ground to a halt in August because of a dispute involving catering staff employed by Gate Gourmet.

Despite the company and trade union reaching an agreement, hundreds of affected staff are still not back at work.

More than three months since the media circus left town and holidaymakers' tans have faded, men and women are still fighting for their jobs.

"It's not over. People think it is over but we are still picketing, we are still out of work, we come here, we put up a tent here everyday," says Parmjit Kaur.

The 42-year-old Mrs Kaur is a former tray setter who worked for Gate Gourmet for 11 years.

'Want to work'

But now circumstances have forced her to become a full-time protestor - she stands defiant and has vowed to fight on since her dismissal.

Mrs Kaur was dismissed along with 700 workers by Gate Gourmet in August.

The sacked workers feel let down by trade union officials

"It's very hard," she explains. "All I want to do is work but I am not allowed to.

"I am not on strike; I am fighting for my rights. They have kicked us out with nothing," she said.

Mrs Kaur, along with her sacked colleagues, many of whom are of Indian origin, continue to maintain a daily vigil outside Heathrow's Terminal 4 on a muddy hill dubbed 'The Mound', close to the Gate Gourmet plant.

As the Gate Gourmet vans drive past, Mrs Kaur and other picketers under a makeshift garden gazebo shout : "You should be here - shame on you".

'Outdated practices'

The roots of the dispute stretch back to the beginning of the year.

Gate Gourmet was looking for redundancies and wanted to change workers' pay and working conditions.

"Although Gate Gourmet globally is a profitable company, it's been under huge financial pressure. Since 2002 it has been making heavy losses in the UK," said BBC business correspondent Russel Hayes, who explained that the firm was under pressure to make changes in how it operated.

The dispute left thousands of travellers stuck at the airport

"9/11 and the recent fuel crisis has all had a huge impact on the aviation industry," he said. "Plus Gate Gourmet felt that staff were working to outdated practises."

In August, the confrontation came to a head when Gate Gourmet brought in 130 temporary staff to cope with the peak season workload.

The union said this would only be acceptable if the redundancy threat to other workers was lifted.

Quick exit

Mrs Kaur and her colleagues met in the canteen and when the workers questioned the company's decision to bring in outside workers they were told to either go back to work or to leave the premises.

"We were made to feel like criminals," she said. "We were told to hand over our passes and leave; we were escorted off the building.

"I am sure even criminals are treated with more respect".

By the following day Heathrow was in crisis as 1,000 British Airways ground staff downed tools in a show of solidarity with the sacked workers, many of whom were friends and family members.

In the end British Airways grounded 900 flights, as the unofficial action cost BA in the region of £45m, and delays and cancellations disrupted the travel plans of 100,000 passengers.

Despite the union and Gate Gourmet reaching a settlement, it has yet to be implemented and the 700 sacked workers remain out in the cold.

Gate Gourmet's workforce was a close knit community

The company has said it will take back some of the workers under new terms and conditions.

But the offer of re-employment is not open to all staff and the company is looking for around 300 voluntary and compulsory redundancies.

'Getting harder'

Many of the workers on the picket line are confused and angry.

Mrs Kaur feels the T&G should have got the same agreement for all of the dismissed workers.

"The union have let us down," she said. "They said we would be back within a week but it's now been 3 months."

As far as the General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, Tony Woodley, is concerned, the union has done everything possible to help get a resolution and the best deal for the workers.

For the time being the future looks bleak for Mrs Kaur and her colleagues.

"I don't know when I will go back to work. I don't know how I am going to pay my mortgage and bills, I have no money," she said.

Despite the worry about her future, back at the mound Mrs Kaur is vocal and is determined to carry on the struggle to her last breath.

"We need justice that is all," she said.

Chicken or Fish is broadcast on the BBC Asian Network at 1830GMT on Monday 28 November or online at the Listen again page.