Three Cathay Pacific flight attendants who challenged the airline's pay rules won their bid for an appeal yesterday.
The trio had won a partial victory at the Labour Tribunal earlier this year, which Cathay is appealing against amid speculation that the airline could be forced to settle as much as HK$100 million in similar claims.
But the tribunal's ruling also found that Cathay was not required to include overnight and overseas expenses in holiday pay.
That would substantially reduce the claim from attendants Becky Kwan Siu-wa, Vera Wu Yee-mei and Jenny Ho Kit-man.
Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung ruled that the trio's bid to challenge that part of the tribunal's ruling could go to a full hearing. Their appeal would be heard with the airline's appeal, he said.
A key question would be whether the allowances were a contractual obligation or a discretionary payment, as Cathay claimed.