Employee Relations

Genesis of the Strike

A break in the communication process between the T G Union and the Gate Gourmet management was responsible for the strike . Both parties would normally be to blame for such a break down in their routine talks and negotiations . There are key differences in the versions of the incident on the Union (T G Campaigning , 2003 ) and the Gate Gourmet websites (Press Release , 2007 . The management relates the incident to training for job enhancement , while the Union attributes the action to a set of pre-meditated moves by the management [banner_entry_middle]

to dismiss workers . Neither the Union management nor the country and corporate human resources development functions of Gate Gourmet should have allowed the matter to come to such a pass

The T G Union did not appreciate its bargaining position correctly , and its contingency action procedures were unprofessional and faulty . The Union should have had intelligence information related to the Gate Gourmet ‘s drive to recruit loaders and drivers on contract . Airline catering is not an unskilled job at any level , so the management must have made concerted plans to recruit and to orient new workers : it was the job of the Union to get wind of such actions . More serious , was the spontaneous strike . No professional union is required for such emotional and ill-considered action . The Union should have conducted risk analysis to predict the possibility of sudden dismissal , and should have sought legal relief against the dismissals

Nominally , it appears that changes in work conditions and remuneration caused the strike . The company press announcement (Press Release 2007 .refers to training for reinstated workers , which the Union has not denied , so it appears that Gate Gourmet really wanted to get more than mere driving and loading out of its employees . The salary reduction claims which the Union makes on its website may in reality be a management proposal for productivity improvements Key Stake Holders

The T G Union is a principal player in this matter . It is a relatively large body , with significant membership and resources . It can therefore be decided to look after the best interests of people in the humble positions of drivers and loaders much better than such people could do by themselves . The Union also has strength relative to the foreign owners of Gate Gourmet in terms of access to and influence over U .K parliamentarians , especially since the country supposedly has the Labor Party in power ! A primary responsibility of such an influential body is to be fully knowledgeable about rights and obligations under domestic law

Gate Gourmet is an equally significant participant in the incident and its aftermath . It has , as a foreign entity , a special obligation to act in accordance with the laws of each country in which it operates . The Union version that drivers and loaders were given just minutes to sign a new agreement or face dismissal , does not reflect well on an international company in the service sector . It is a moot point whether Gate Gourmet… [banner_entry_footer]