Tens of thousands of air travellers faced another day of chaos yesterday after British Airways cancelled all its flights in and out of London's main Heathrow airport because of a wildcat strike.
It cancelled all its British, European and long-haul flights at the world's busiest international airport Thursday after baggage handlers walked out in sympathy with workers at the catering firm that prepares its in-flight meals.
With no immediate end to the dispute in sight, and with 100 aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew left stranded elsewhere around the world, British Airways said it would remain grounded yesterday.
PHOTO: EPA
"It is a huge disappointment to us that we have become embroiled in someone else's dispute," said British Airway's chief executive Sir Rod Eddington.
British Airways operates some 550 flights a day at Heathrow at this time of year -- traditionally one of the busiest weeks for the airline industry, with legions of holidaymakers taking to the air.
As passengers arrived on Thursday to discover that they had been shut out of Heathrow's terminals, airport staff distributed fold-up chairs and bottles of water, and a race was on to find overnight accomodation for out-of-towners.
The chaos stems from the sacking of 800 workers from Gate Gourmet, an in-flight catering firm owned by a Texas investment group that counts British Airways as its biggest client at Heathrow, west of London.
Gate Gourmet said the layoffs were necessary for its survival, but the Transport and General Workers Union accused management of acting in a "disgraceful" fashion and urged British Airways to put pressure on it.
The dispute escalated sharply Thursday when baggage handlers, members of the same union, staged a spontaneous unofficial strike in support of their Gate Gourmet colleagues.
Besides British Airways, the walkout had a direct impact on Australian carrier Qantas, Finnair and Sri Lankan Airways, which depend on the same baggage handlers at Heathrow.
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS