THE closer we get to the new Terminal Five, the more intense the class struggle becomes between the bosses of the BAA (British Airports Authority) and BA (British Airways), and the workers and their trade unions, whether it be the pilots, cabin crews, baggage handlers, loaders, security staff and the catering workers such as Gate Gourmet, who were the first to be attacked when they were locked out on August 10th, six months ago.
A couple of months ago the BA boss Walsh agreed that BA’s move to Terminal Five could be termed his ‘Wapping’.
Wapping is the term used for the January 1986-87 printers struggle. Over 6,000 printers were locked out and sacked by Rupert Murdoch who had pre-prepared a scab plant at Wapping to produce his newspapers with a fraction of the former workforce, and paying only a fraction of his previous wage bill.
So far, in preparation for Terminal Five, we have seen the Gate Gourmet management locking out seven hundred workers, and the TGWU making a deal accepting that action and agreeing to 400 workers being made redundant, including 150 compulsorily redundant, and that the company could bring in its austerity programme.
We have also seen the sacking of two BA baggage handlers’ shop stewards, ‘charged’ with leading the unofficial walk-out of BA baggage handlers in support of the locked-out Gate Gourmet workers.
These sackings are under appeal, with the TGWU leaders, on paper at least, saying that there may be industrial action if their appeal fails.
Last Friday, the TGWU announced that BAA had terminated its contract with Menzies Aviation, and had put out its airside baggage handling and passenger operations to contract with Alstec and NPC, both of whom were refusing to honour the pension and other benefits of the workers and both of whom wanted to change the terms and conditions of their service.
A TGWU official called this a ‘nightmare’ and warned that ‘our members would now seem to be paying for even bigger profits for the BAA and its T5 project by the back door.’
Last Saturday, the Balpa pilots trade union warned its members, advising them to put aside at least £25,000 because they were shortly liable to be out on strike for at least six months in defence of their final salary pensions, which BA wants to abolish.
It is clear that the whole of the working class at Heathrow is under attack, and the gauntlet that is being flung down to the trade unions must be picked up.
The warning of the Gate Gourmet locked-out workers, that they were the first but would not be the last to be sacked and locked out, was correct. The first thing that must be done is that the TGWU leaders must be made to make the Gate Gourmet dispute official, and restore hardship pay for the locked-out workers.
Also, Balpa, the TGWU and the GMB, the main airport trade unions, must join together for joint strike action to defend their members’ jobs, pensions, pay and terms and conditions of service.
The trade union slogan of an injury to one is an injury to all must guide them to organise for industrial action to stop the airport and drive BAA and BA back.
There must be strike action until the BAA and BA agree not to cut the terms and conditions of employment, wages, jobs or pensions of any Heathrow workers, and until the Gate Gourmet locked-out workers and the two sacked BA shop stewards are returned to work on their old terms and conditions of service.
This is a battle that must be fought and won.