Friday, August 12, 2005

Airstrike with a difference

An unofficial strike by Heathrow ground staff is causing disruption for travellers. But the real news is that the strike is about something worthwhile.

Staff at in-flight caterers Gate Gourmet rejected a restructuring deal that would have led to hundreds of job losses, cuts in pay and worse working conditions. It would seem that the company took on 130 seasonal workers while still threatening permanent staff with redundancy. When the permanent staff organised a sit-in protest, around 500 were sacked on the spot. Within a day or so, other staff at Heathrow stopped work in protest.

High-profile strikes have become rarities in Britain today. As a result, the role of trade unions has changed dramatically. Where once they organised on the basis of defending jobs and pay, unions have taken an increasingly conservative role, promoting risk awareness in the workplace, or undertaking litigation on behalf of individuals. It is no surprise, then, that the original decision to reject the company's restructuring package was against union advice and that the current strike action is unofficial - in other words, not sanctioned by the union leadership, which is bending over backwards to try to get staff back to work.

Even more than before, the old trade unions have become a barrier to workers taking effective action to defend their livelihoods. It would be nice to think that we might see a bit more of this kind of independent action in the future.

12,000 go without food on BA flights, Mirror, 11 August 2005

See also: Rumblings at Heathrow, spiked, 23 August 2005

Monday, August 01, 2005

Eat yourself happy

New research suggests many teenagers comfort eat when depressed. And this is news?

According to a survey conducted by the Priory Group, which treats people with eating disorders, 10million adults in the UK turn to food when they have an argument or when they're not getting on well with their partners. The 15-24 age group was found to be particularly prone to responding to emotional traumas through eating. The comfort food of choice is chocolate, followed by 'junk food'.

Priory Group says this is a 'form of self-medication'. 'These people are desperate to fill the void created by loneliness, low self-esteem, depression and insecurity', says Dr Peter Rowan, a consultant psychiatrist for Priory.

Now, while it is clear that a small minority of people do have eating disorders, it's quite another thing to suggest that a large proportion of the population are therapy cases who need to be weaned off their bad habit. If eating the odd big meal or packet of biscuits can take the edge off your pain, that seems like a pretty good short-term solution.

It could be that the Priory is trying to drum up a bit of business: 'Don't eat that hamburger, kids - it'll make you a lonely fatty. Have a consultation with us instead.' The Priory has a point when it says our relationship with food is screwed up, but therapy is not the answer.

Food and eating are constantly problematised: processed food, obesity, anorexia, additives, pesticides... the list goes on and on. In a society where the worst-case scenario is the first thing that springs to mind, something as simple and positive as eating gets casually referred to as a 'timebomb'. It's enough to make you turn to drink.

Lovesick teens turn to junk food, BBC News, 1 August 2005