Owain wrote:
Indeed, it's only the drinks and nibbles supplier that's shafted them
FFS, not Air Traffic Control. I bet the local Asian corner shop could
have rustled up a planeload of pakoras, samosas, and cans of Irn Bru.


Not so. The problem for BA was that the local union members went on
an unofficial strike and refused to handle baggage for BA and some other
airlines, in order to force BA etc, to pressurise the catering company
into giving in to the union demands. As Tony and friends repealed the
trade union legislation which allowed an employer to recover their
losses from a trade union whose members went on unofficial strikes, BA
were screwed. Reading between the lines, the caterer with a largely
Asian, militantly unionised and apparently inefficient workforce and
generating huge losses, decided that the company would do the best thing
for the shareholders and pull the plug. That decision, I believe was
taken in the US, as few British managers would have the guts to do it!

BA then tried to source from the local corner shop AIUI, which is one
of the reasons given for the unofficial strike. What it also shows, is
that reliance upon only one supplier is akin to suicide in a cut throat
high volume consumer business.

Regards
Capitol