Palestine – Working Class History

December 16, 2018April 25, 2022 Working Class History Podcast

E17-18: Anti-Zionism in Israel

Double podcast episode on a people’s history of Zionism and opposition to it within Israel, in conversation with former members of Israeli socialist group Matzpen, Moshe Machover, Haim and Udi.

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10 August 2005: Gate Gourmet dispute - On This Day in Working Class History

On this day, 10 August 2005, the Gate Gourmet dispute began in London. British Airways (BA) had outsourced its airline meal production, primarily by Asian women workers, to Gate Gourmet, who cut wages and conditions. Planning on worsening conditions further, they brought in hundreds of agency workers to do the work of the permanent employees. Seeing agency workers in their usual posts, the workers assembled in their canteen to discuss and protest at what was happening. Gate Gourmet then sacked over 700 of the workers. BA baggage handlers then walked out on a wildcat sympathy strike, shutting Heathrow airport completely for 48 hours. But their union, the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), ordered them back to work. And although the sacked workers set up picket lines, TGWU officials reached an agreement with bosses for some of the workers to be reinstated on the inferior terms and conditions which the workers had opposed in the first place. Many of the workers fought on until April the following year, but the union refused to make their action official, and they were eventually defeated. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8178/gate-gourmet-disputeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History