British Airways Strike Continues

[Feileacan 32]

The Baggage Handlers Strike that hit yesterday is continuing today which will leave thousands stranded. I Pity anyone travelling to BKK tonight with them.

 

LONDON : Tens of thousands of air travellers faced another day of chaos after British Airways cancelled all its flights in and out of London's main Heathrow airport because of a wildcat strike.

 

It called off 500 flights at Heathrow -- the world's busiest international airport -- until 6 pm (1700 GMT) after baggage handlers walked out in sympathy with sacked workers at the catering firm that prepares its in-flight meals.

 

Australian carrier Qantas, Finnair and Sri Lankan Airways, which use the same baggage handlers, also felt the effects, as 121 British Airways departures and some 100 arrivals were cancelled Thursday, affecting 20,000 travellers.

 

With no end to the dispute in sight -- and with 100 of its aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew stranded at airports all over the world -- British Airways said it would keep itself grounded on Friday.

 

"It is a huge disappointment to us that we have become embroiled in someone else's dispute," said British Airway's chief executive Sir Rod Eddington, finding himself in the third labour dispute to hit Heathrow in as many summers.

 

Mick Temple, managing director of BAA Heathrow Airport, told BBC radio there would be "significant disruption today and probably for several days to come" for British Airways passengers.

 

As matters stand, Temple said, those travelling on most other airlines from Heathrow should not encounter difficulties, though he advised them to check for information before going out to the airport.

 

"I would strongly advise everybody to just check because I could be saying something now which is clearly wrong in a very short period of time because of the situation we're talking about," he said.

 

As passengers arrived Thursday to find themselves shut out of Heathrow's terminals, airport staff distributed fold-up chairs and bottles of water, and a race was on to find overnight accomodation for out-of-towners.

 

"I don't anticipate getting much sleep tonight," said teacher Peter Weston, 49, trying to reach Germany. "My sons found a corner by the arrivals lounge, we'll sleep there I guess."

 

The chaos stems from the sacking of 800 workers from Gate Gourmet International, an in-flight catering firm owned by US private equity group Texas Pacific that makes 80,000 meals a day for British Airways, its biggest client at Heathrow.

 

Gate Gourmet, which has been trying to restructure in a bid to cut its financial losses, dismissed the workers on Wednesday after an unofficial stoppage over the casual employment of 130 workers.

 

But the Transport and General Workers Union, one of the biggest unions in the country, accused management of acting in a "disgraceful" fashion and urged British Airways to put pressure on it.

 

The dispute escalated sharply Thursday when baggage handlers, members of the same union, staged a spontaneous unofficial strike in support of their Gate Gourmet colleagues.

 

Gate Gourmet workers were to hold a mass meeting at Heathrow later Friday to decide their next move.

 

Henk Potts, an analyst at Barclays Stockbrokers, said the dispute could cost British Airways 10 million pounds (18.1 million dollars) a day, at a time when it is grappling with soaring fuel prices.

 

British Airways is among the world's most profitable airlines after making 415 million pounds (752 million dollars) in profits last year, thanks in part to job reductions and abandoning of money-losing routes.

[jacko 8,815]

Well I am booked to fly into the UK with BA in 2 days...Manchester fortunately. But also to fly BA to Bangkok in a few weeks obviously from Heathrow.

What they call the World's busiest hub is probably the world's worst airport.

 

It appears the staff there will go on strike at the drop of a hat.

 

It is a dump, and they are building a new terminal at this awful place.

 

BA are destined for the scrap heap if they let these selfish workers ruin their custom base and reputation, I have been reading horror reports of people who, after 8 hours flying without food are then stuck on the ground for 5 hours.

 

These employees are industrial terrorists, perhaps Osama has ties to the TGWU.

[monkeyman 1,604]

That'll teach 'em not to employ cowboy caterers.

Edited August 12, 2005 by monkeyman

[urmy48 4]

[These employees are industrial terrorists, perhaps Osama has ties to the TGWUQUOTE]It appears the staff there will go on strike at the drop of a hat.

 

It,s nice too see you guys support workers that have been sacked whilst they have been on holidays,sick leve ect.

These people work for probably not the best money in the world. I think it,s great to see British workers looking out for each other.

I also feel sorry for people stranded all over the world but you can only blame the fat cats !

[Pieman 0]

[These employees are industrial terrorists, perhaps Osama has ties to the TGWUQUOTE]It appears the staff there will go on strike at the drop of a hat.

 

It,s nice too see you guys support workers that have been sacked whilst they have been on holidays,sick leve ect.

These people work for probably not the best money in the world. I think it,s great to see British workers looking out for each other.

I also feel sorry for people stranded all over the world but you can only blame the fat cats !

Welcome aboard Comrade urmy.

 

For your next trip here do check out the Aeroflop schedules - assuming that your mill owning bosses give you a day or two off per annum.

 

Cheers

Pie

[BongoBill9999 0]

I also feel sorry for people stranded all over the world but you can only blame the fat cats !

No, BA ground to a halt because of the actions of the baggage handlers who took unofficial action - not for the first time. Certainly the catering company appears to have fucked up but that alone would not have stopped the airline totally, particularly on short haul routes. The British worker once again committing industrial suicide.

[jacko 8,815]

Welcome aboard Comrade urmy.

 

For your next trip here do check out the Aeroflop schedules - assuming that your mill owning bosses give you a day or two off per annum.

 

Cheers

Pie

I think you will find that it is union members who associate with the Socialist elements, when I was a Union representative some twits kept calling me 'comrade'.

 

I do not understand the mentality of people who think 'someone' owes them a living?

Will destroying your employer improve your working conditions?

Take a look at the pictures of 'sacked' employees, nuff said.