Granada fights ruling to reinstate Hillingdon 21

Granada Food Services is appealing against an industrial tribunal ruling that it should reinstate 21 catering and cleaning staff who were sacked from London's Hillingdon Hospital in 1995 when the contract was held by Pall Mall.

The firm's decision follows a meeting between Granada and representatives of the workers last week. According to Granada, the group explained that they might be reluctant to adopt new rotas, hours and working practices now in operation at Hillingdon and they also refused offers of re-employment at other contracts "in positions which more closely matched their previous working patterns".

Workers currently at Hillingdon were also concerned about the group coming back to work at the hospital "because of the damage to relationships that was caused during the group's protest", Granada said. For these reasons, the firm concluded the reinstatement of the sacked workers was "impractical".

Granada inherited the dispute when it took over Pall Mall's catering interests in summer 1997. It says the matter should be the responsibility of Pall Mall's previous owner, the Davis Service Group.

Supporters of the sacked workers picketed Granada's corporate headquarters in central London during the meeting. No one from trade union Unison was available for comment.

By David Shrimpton