Agreement reached to end Gate Gourmet dispute

In late September 2005, workers at airline caterers Gate Gourmet voted to accept a deal to end a long-running, high-profile industrial dispute.

On 28 September 2005, workers at airline caterers Gate Gourmet voted to accept an agreement reached between officials of the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) and managers at the US-owned company to bring to an end the long-running, high-profile industrial dispute which had led to the dismissal of 670 Gate Gourmet employees and two days of unofficial strike action by British Airways ground staff during August (UK0509106F). The dispute prompted calls from trade unions for changes in the law to allow secondary industrial action and became a cause célébre at both the Trades Union Congress (TUC) (UK0510103N) and Labour Party conferences.

The deal, which was brokered by the TUC, was struck between the company and the union on 27 September. A joint statement released by the parties said: 'Following intensive talks throughout recent days an agreement has now been reached between the TGWU and Gate Gourmet London Limited with assistance from the TUC to resolve the long-running dispute. The agreement has to be ratified by the members of the union and the company’s board of directors. Both the company and the union are pleased that a way forward has been found, and, if the agreement is ratified, both sides have committed to working together to rebuild trust and confidence after all the difficulties of recent weeks.'

According to press reports, almost 400 of the Gate Gourmet workers who were sacked during the dispute will be offered their jobs back. Hundreds of others will take voluntary redundancy but 144 will be made redundant compulsorily. A key issue in the negotiations was reportedly Gate Gourmet’s insistence on reserving the right not to re-employ certain so-called 'trouble-makers'.

The TGWU said that the workers who had been sacked by the company voted 'overwhelmingly' to accept the deal at a mass meeting on 28 September. Tony Woodley, general secretary of the TGWU, said in a statement: 'This has been a bitter and historic dispute with innocent workers victimised, which must lead to changes in the law. I am pleased however that our shop stewards and members have accepted a settlement that will see the great majority of our members going back to work or taking voluntary separation. The remainder, who would have faced compulsory redundancy under the company’s plans prior to the dispute, will now have representation and access to an appeals procedure following a fair process. Even those members will at least now receive compensation whereas they would have received nothing after being sacked. We look forward to people returning to work and working with the company to rebuild trust and confidence.'

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