Gate Gourmet may reject some redundancy applications

Many of the 700 employees who have applied for voluntary redundancy at airline caterer Gate Gourmet are likely to be turned down, according to company officials.

The caterer, which needs to slash 675 of its 1,400 jobs at Heathrow airport to put its UK business back in the black, warned it needed to ensure it was left with the correct balance of skilled workers.

Gate Gourmet UK & Ireland managing director Eric Born added: "We will not re-engage employees who instigated the wildcat strike in August or their more militant followers."

According to the Trade and General Workers' union, the company regards about 200 of the 667 sacked staff as militant activists.

The company continues to insist that it is unable to selectively re-hire dismissed workers sacked after a wildcat strike in August, due to legal reasons unless they sign compromise agreements.

By Angela Frewin

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