Airline catering strike threat averted

A strike threat by airline catering workers at Dublin Airport has been averted, it emerged tonight.

It was feared that dozens of flights could be hit in industrial action by Gate Gourmet workers after their UK colleagues had grounded thousands of passengers at London’s Heathrow Airport in recent days.

Several days of travel chaos was caused when British Airways workers backed a strike by 670 sacked Gate Gourmet staff.

However SIPTU said tonight that it had made progress on several issues with Gate Gourmet including a commitment to pay backdated wage rises due up to April of this year.

“Management has given an absolute commitment that there will be no changes to employment conditions without consultation and agreement,” Civil Aviation Branch official Pat Ward said.

A joint working committee will also be set up to examine the company’s restructuring proposals as well as a reward package for workers co-operating with change.

“The terms of reference are to be agreed between Siptu and management,” said Mr Ward.

It was feared that a threat by the catering firm’s management to renege on an agreement with its employees could disrupt dozens of flights into and out of Dublin.

Gate Gourmet services a total of 16 airlines at Dublin Airport including BA, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines and British Midland.

Siptu called a meeting with management after the firm said it couldn’t afford to pay the terms of Sustaining Progress and had threatened to introduce new terms of employment without agreement.