owned firm Gate Gourmet, which provides onboard meals for British Airways flights. The catering company's workers' union said 800 staff had been fired 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. While the 1,000 BA ground-crew staff returned to work Friday, the catering workers were still striking and talks were expected to continue Sunday to resolve the dispute. Gate Gourmet, which is undertaking restructuring amid financial losses, is owned by U.S. company Texas Pacific Group. «Like all the people here I am not pleased, but I am accepting the situation,» said Latific Vanja, who was stranded in London with his wife and two young children after flying in Friday from Los Angeles. He had been hoping to depart Sunday for his home in Oslo, Norway. Huge tents were erected outside the terminals where passengers were given free coffee and tea, and newspapers to read. Chicken sandwiches, apples and carrot sticks were also provided, and entertainers were brought in to amuse the waiting children. 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 up to 40 million pounds (US$73 million, ¤58 million) from the latest dispute.
