Deadline for Gate Gourmet workers

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

Gate Gourmet workers sacked after last August's strike action at Heathrow airport have been given a deadline of next Friday to agree compensation.

The catering company has agreed a deal with the Transport and General Workers Union giving sacked staff a choice of compensation or re-employment.

But staff who fail to sign the compromise agreement by 16 December will miss out on compensation payments.

So far 137 out of 700 former Gate Gourmet workers have signed the forms.

As a result, 45 of them have received compensation or will be paid shortly.

Gate Gourmet's managing director Eric Born said: "I don't want anyone to face hardship unnecessarily, especially at this time of year, and so with one week to go, I say to our former staff sign up, don't lose out."

A TGWU spokesperson said a deadline had been set to stop the issue rolling on, but promised to review the situation if there were former workers who were not able to meet it for any reason.

Gate Gourmet supplies British Airways with tens of thousands of in-flight meals each day.