Pickets continue protest at LSG

The dispute between airline catering firm LSG Sky Chefs and 240 workers sacked from its Heathrow kitchen after two one-day strikes in November shows no sign of being resolved.

Pickets continued their vigil outside the firm over Christmas and New Year. "It's very entrenched, First World War stuff - tin hats on, occasionally lobbing shells at each other," said Alan Green, regional organiser for the Transport and General Workers' Union.

LSG Sky Chefs this week continued to lay the blame for the dispute squarely at the feet of the union. "This was the fourth dispute in 10 months," said a spokesman. "The union was after a 25% pay increase, which is absolutely ludicrous for any company in this day and age."

Green claimed 290 people had now been sacked. He blamed the firm for its "lack of experience in negotiating" and insisted the 25% claim was only a bargaining position.

More than 1,900 people had applied for the 240 vacancies created by the sackings, said the firm, and 75 had so far been taken on. Four airlines catered for by LSG Sky Chefs were forced to make other arrangements because of the dispute,it added, but the service to two of them had now been fully restored.