The company Gate Gourmet is somehow known after the labor-conflicts in London in august 2005 and the spectacular wildcat-strike of British Airways workers. Now another strike in a Gate Gourmet branch in Duesseldorf persists since 9 weeks! And needs international solidarity-actions, for example at 17th of December!
Solidarity with the Strikers of Gate Gourmet
Gate Gourmet, a multinational catering company with more than 23.000 workers in 15 countries, is somehow known after the labor-conflicts in London in august 2005 and the spectacular wildcat-strike of British Airways workers, which led to the shutdown of the whole traffic at heathrow-airport for some days. And it caused mainly in the contacts and relationships of migrant-communities to make possible such a solidarity-strike in London.
It is now probably not by chance rather a reaction to an overall pushing aggravation of wage-cut and of labor-conditions, that another (union-led) strike in a Gate Gourmet-branch in Duesseldorf in Germany takes place now since 9 weeks. It is carried by a multinational composition of workers of this branch, but the managment could find strikebreakers in other branches. Nevertheless a few days ago a compromise seemed to be found in the negotiations, but the bosses of Gate Gourmet Europe finally had withdrawn their agreement again. Now the strike in Duessoldorf goes on and it needs international support as much as possible to succeed and to stop the attack of Gate Gourmets management. The whole conflict is less and less a question of some percentages of wages, it becomes more and more a symbolic question of power.
Following you will find a backgound-article about the strike in Duesseldorf, which was written and provided by friends of the "group wildcat". They published a first text already in a new international website called "prol position". find more under http://www.prol-position.net/
Global Capitalism Requires Global Resistance -
Call for Solidarity Action on the 17th of December at all Gate Gourmet Locations World-Wide
Since the 7th of October more than 70 workers of the company Gate Gourmet at Düsseldorf Airport / Germany have been on
strike. Gate Gourmet is the second biggest catering company within the aviation sector world-wide. The company has branches
all over the globe (see: http://www.gategourmet.com/797/798/835.asp)
In August an impressive strike took place at the airport in Heathrow, London. Gate Gourmet tried to enforce a worsening of
working conditions. When the Gate Gourmet workers gathered in an assembly, the management locked them in order to make them sign the new contracts. Despite the pressure the workers refused to sign. The management reacted by sacking them all, all 670 workers. They didn't have a clue of what would happen next: the ground staff of British Airlines went on solidarity strike and thereby paralysed the whole airport. The two days of strikes caused a total caos: British Airways had to cancel all flights; tens of thousands of passengers were trapped in the airport. This strong (solidarity) strike action got a lot of attention of unionists and the left. Workers of a sector where casualised working condition are prevant walked out and developed an unexpected power.
Unfortunately we are still a long way away from that kind of situation here in Germany. It seems like Gate Gourmet attacks
their workers in a similar style in all branches, but so far the workers at Düsseldorf Airport are the only ones who are fighting back. Officially the strike is about the collective contract. Since Gate Gourmet bought the company three years ago there haven't been any wage increases. Now the management even wants to increase the weekly working hours from 38.5 to 40 hours; slash five of the thirty annual holiday days; reduce the extra money for night shifts, sundays and bank holidays; and demand an even more flexible working time.
If it was only about the small wage raise which the workers demand, the strike wouldn't make sense. The workers lost already more money due to the strike than they are able to win. They emphasise that it is not only about more money. They talk about the working conditions, which deterioreted since Gate Gourmet took over, the increasing work pressure, the unbearable atmosphere. The bosses showed no respect at all but demanded an ever higher work pace. The banner in front of the picket-tent of the striker says only one word: 'Dignity'. The workers know: if they will loose this conflict they will have to put up with whatever pressure and humiliation the management subjects them to. On the other side the company has to pay a high price for its uncompromising attitude towards the strikers. Everyday they pay loads of money for scabs and security messures such as guards and fences. For Gate Gourmet it would be cheaper to accept the demanded wage increase. Obviuosly to the company it is more important to beat these daring workers who had the guts to fight back, whatever it costs. Only if the company wins this struggle will it be able to enforce the new conditions in other branches, that's what we have to prevent...
The workers in struggle are determined and standing together. The staff is international, more than half of them weren't born in Germany, more than a third are women. The majority have worked for the company for a long time, some of them since the beginning, sixteen years ago. They know each other well and since being on the picket-line together even better. There is lots of solidarity between them, but they remain isolated. Other branches send solidarity messages, but the workers there keep on working, or even worse, some branches send scabs or packed food in order to substitute the food lost due to the strike. In addition to that the company hires temp workers for the effected Düsseldorf branch. In that way Gate Gourmet more or less succeeds in supplying the aeroplanes and in satisfying the clients. At one point the strikers tried to
block the lorries which drive to the runways, a difficult action: given that they are on the premises of the airport, a 'sensitive area', the police shows up immediately. On the 18th of November a group of 70 people managed to block the gates for an hour. A good action which raised the spirits, but too little if you want to beat a multinational...
After Gate Gourmet ignored the strike for weeks there have now been negotiations at the beginning of December. On the 7th of December the union and company representatives came to an agreement. It was possible to exclude the company demands to increase the working hours and to reduce holidays, but a lot of the strikers thought that the agreement didn't provide enough actual improvements of the working conditions. Before the workers were able to vote whether to accept the agreement or not, the companies European head-quarter renounced the agreement, less than 24 hours later. Now the workers are even more dedicated to keep on striking. Even the amongst the scabs there was discontent, given that they had hoped that an agreement would have finished the conflict.
In order to support the comrades of gate Gourmet in Düsseldorf we call for an international day of action on Saturday the 17th of December. Check the Gate Gourmet web-site for the nearest branch in your area or inform passengers in the airport terminals about the situation...
