Ground crew 'refusing overtime work'
Some Cathay Pacific ground crew say they have refused requests to work overtime and have expressed anger at the pilots' actions.
'Many of our frontline staff have refused overtime because we are taking the brunt of the passengers' frustration and anger at actions we are not responsible for,' said a customer service employee.
'We feel management does not appreciate our predicament. Instead, a manager shows up and complains we are processing passengers so slowly.
'In past emergencies, in addition to overtime pay, we get an extra $400 a day as encouragement. I haven't heard about that so far.' He said check-in and customer service staff usually worked 8.5 to 9.5 hours a day, but in the past three days, many had to work up to 12 hours.
Another check-in counter worker blamed senior pilots for their heavy workload.
'They are the elite of the company and get paid many times what non-pilot crew make,' she said. 'Most of us have accepted pay cuts or increased workload but not the senior pilots, who get most of the benefits and cause us more pain.' A Cathay spokesman said he was not aware of staff refusing to work overtime.
