IT was revealed yesterday by the Guardian newspaper that it has seen a TGWU agreement which shows that the two BA shop stewards, who took part in the walk-out in support of the Gate Gourmet workers on August 11th and 12th 2005, and were then sacked, are to receive £600,000 ‘hush money’ to keep quiet over the Gate Gourmet workers’ struggle and the BA workers support of them.
A feature of the ‘hush money’ for Pat Breslin and Mark Fisher is that BA is contributing £90,000 towards it.
After the baggage handlers were ordered to return to work by TGWU leader Tony Woodley, BA boss Willie Walsh threatened to take the TGWU to court charging that the men were brought out by Tony Woodley. Walsh threatened to sue the TGWU for the £42 million BA share collapse that took place following the walk-out.
It has long been discussed in the TGWU whether Woodley did call the baggage handlers out, but then typically collapsed, along with BA’s shares, and ordered a return instead of standing fast to win the dispute.
Fear of legal action also led to the union leadership refusing to ballot for strike action to return the two shop stewards to their jobs.
Yesterday the Guardian said that the two sacked shop stewards Breslin and Fisher ‘received legal advice saying that they could sue the T&G for negligence for ordering them to take the illegal action.
‘They could also sue the union for breach of contract, harassment and claim for psychiatric or other injury as a result of losing their jobs.’
Further, the Guardian claims to have seen a copy of the agreement between the two men and the TGWU which states that each of the men ‘will make no statement in relation to his involvement in or knowledge of any meeting of trade union representatives, relating to the events which occurred in relation to BA in 2005 and which caused his dismissal from employment at BA, without receiving in advance the written consent of the general secretary of the union, approving the terms of the statement to be made’.
The Guardian also said of the men: ‘They are barred from disclosing any details of the union’s handling of the Gate Gourmet dispute without the general secretary’s written approval.
‘They have also agreed to forgo using the union’s grievance procedures, including putting a complaint to the certification officer who adjudicates on breaches of union rules.’ Breslin will receive £300,000 and Fisher will get £176,000 and a job with the union paid at £50,000 a year.
This includes the £90,000 from BA, split between them.
A spokesman for the T&G told News Line yesterday: ‘I have been instructed not to comment on this matter.’ However, BA has confirmed that it has decided to take no further action over the baggage handlers’ sympathy strike, and that it has contributed £90,000 to the settlement for the two sacked workers.
The question is why is BA being so generous? There has been an unofficial circular going round the TGWU for some time which contains the same revelations as the Guardian about the ‘hush money’.
This has been sent round by a group of ‘Concerned TGWU members’.
They say the following in this unofficial circular about Walsh’s generosity:
‘What has the General Secretary agreed in private with the BA management so they do not sue the union over his actions in this dispute? Watch developments with the negotiations over terminal 5 at Heathrow!’ BA is to move to Terminal 5 and the BA boss has already called it ‘BA’s Wapping’.
The fear is that Woodley is set to organise another sweetheart deal of the Gate Gourmet sort for the BA boss selling out many thousands of workers this time round.
The NEC of the TGWU must take action on these matters.
£600,000 hush money is being paid to two ex-shop stewards, while hardship money is being denied to the 100 plus Gate Gourmet workers who are going to the Employment Tribunal.
This is a scandal that the NEC must put right at once.
The locked-out workers must receive all of the hardship money that is owed to them since last February and their dispute be made official.
The NEC must investigate all of the dirty dealing that has taken place between the TGWU leaders, Gate Gourmet and BA, and make it public.
The architects of the Gate Gourmet betrayal, Woodley and Gold must be sacked and replaced by leaders who will fight to win this dispute.
The TUC must likewise inquire into the pro-Gate Gourmet activities of its general secretary Brendan Barber.
