Was it, possibly, related to the following? It would explain the staff being bolshie and working to rule - in particular the comment about aircraft seeming stranded on stands.
The Times - Monday:
“It was just a cold, greasy sausage,” The Mail on Sunday reported, “but it sparked a walkout that threw British Airways flights from Heathrow into chaos. And all because a kindly cabin steward offered it to an airport driver for his breakfast.
“According to BA management that philanthropic act constituted theft. The driver, who hauls planes into position at Heathrow, was immediately suspended. But the driver’s colleagues were furious . . . Dozens of flights were delayed as BA’s first sausage strike left 12 drivers on duty.”
Ananova - Sunday:
Staff at British Airways have threatened to walk out in a row over a sausage. The row was sparked by a member of the cabin staff offering the left over sausage to one of BA's drivers. The driver was suspended because according to BA removing the sausage from the plane constituted "theft".
A spokeswoman told The Mail On Sunday: "Our clear policy is that we have a zero-tolerance approach to anyone caught taking any items from our aircraft".
The driver's colleagues refused to work following his suspension. He was eventually reinstated and given a written warning.
"What one staff member may see as acceptable, another staff member may decide to take further and make off with a couple of miniatures of spirits," said the BA spokeswoman.
Last edited by ORAC; 28th Oct 2002 at 15:07.