owned firm Gate Gourmet, which provides onboard meals
for British Airways flights. The workers' union said the
company had fired 800 staff Wednesday after an unofficial
strike. The company said 667 workers had been dismissed.
BA baggage handlers and loaders represented by the same
union as catering staff _ the Transport and General
Workers' Union _ stopped work in sympathy with their
colleagues.
Gate Gourmet, which is undertaking restructuring amid
financial losses, said it was trying to resolve the
dispute. Gate Gourmet is owned by the U.S. company Texas
Pacific Group.
The union and Gate Gourmet began talks Friday.
BA said flights operating Saturday would have only
«limited catering facilities.»
This is the third consecutive year that BA has suffered a
disruption at the height of the summer holiday season.
Analysts warned the airline faced losses of tens of
millions of pounds (dollars, euros) from the latest
dispute.