BRITISH AIRWAYS was bracing itself for further unofficial strikes last night after talks broke down between its catering suppliers and the trade union representing 670 sacked workers.

Negotiations between Gate Gourmet and the Transport and General Workers Union were abandoned after the company refused to reinstate all the workers. The union appealed to BA to intervene saying that it could not “do a Pontius Pilate on this issue”.

Gate Gourmet had offered to take back the majority of the workers but had refused to re-employ those it described as troublemakers. The TGWU said it was refusing to allow the return of any shop stewards.

BA was forced to cancel more than 700 flights last week after 1,000 of its baggagehandlers walked out on Thursday in sympathy with the sacked workers.

Gate Gourmet has denied claims by the TGWU that it provoked an unofficial strike last Wednesday so that it could sack workers without making redundancy payments.

But the American-owned company admitted last night that it had brought in dozens of security guards hours before the arrival of 120 casual workers prompted the strike. A spokesman for Gate Gourmet said: “A security firm had been put on standby just in case something flared up.”

He also admitted that Gate Gourmet had signed a contract four weeks ago with Gavin Anderson, a City public relations firm.

Gavin Anderson had been told to prepare for a major upheaval which would attract widespread media attention.

Gate Gourmet has hired up to 300 casual workers from an agency in the past few days to replace the sacked workers. It says it will be able to provide food on all BA flights from next Monday.

Tony Woodley, the general secretary of the TGWU, said: “Talks have broken down as a consequence of Gate Gourmet wanting to selectively re-employ those who had been sacked even though there is enough for everyone.”

Gate Gourmet’s Heathrow operation lost £22 million last year. It insisted that a change in working practices was needed to save it from collapse.

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