Cathay bosses leave pay talks grounded
Cathay Pacific bosses slammed the door shut on pay talks with flight attendants yesterday, raising the threat of industrial action over Lunar New Year.
They stood firm on their 'final offer' of a 4.5 per cent pay rise as negotiations broke down after about an hour.
Corporate affairs director Quince Chong Wai-yan said after the meeting the airline deeply regretted that the union was threatening industrial action with thousands of passengers about to take Lunar New Year holidays.
But she insisted: 'We will not reopen the talks over the 2011 pay rise. We do not understand why the union suggested to have industrial action during the holidays while our offer is so reasonable and competitive.'
She said the airline would ensure flight schedules and services are not affected if the union decides on a work-to-rule.
Dora Lai Yuk-sin, chairwoman of Cathay's Flight Attendants' Union, said she hoped discussions could be resumed.
She said: 'The company is reiterating that there is no room for negotiation and it is the final offer.'
But she added: 'Our demand is a humble one, that we simply want the management to return to the negotiation table and have a discussion over the pay rise with us in an open manner.'
The union's 6,000 members have empowered leaders to initiate the work-to-rule at any time.
If the action is triggered, workers would do only the minimum required by their contracts, slowing up operations.
Lai said: 'The union relays the message to the management that we are willing to talk ... we would give them time. We have stated our position. Any time the management is ready to go back to the negotiation table, we are ready to go back.'
Union secretary Tsang Kwok-fung warned: 'We are considering what we need to prepare for the work-to-rule action. We are waiting for the airline and we have not set a deadline for their response.'
But Cathay Pacific chief executive Tony Tyler said yesterday the airline would not discuss salaries any further.
On the sidelines of a press conference to promote the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade, he said: 'We negotiated many rounds of talks in November last year. The salary adjustment is generous and very fair.'
Referring to the possible work-to-rule, Tyler said the company was very disappointed that the union was raising 'unnecessary concerns for the public'.
He believed the majority of crew would act responsibly and in the best interest of passengers.
'I think it's up to the union to explain over the possible damage to the public,' he said.
But the union denied using passengers as a bargaining chip.
Lai hit back: 'The responsibility should be laid on the management.
'We want to talk instead of holding any industrial action. We are the innocent one.'
The airline has offered a net increase of 4.5 per cent, but the union wants a 4.5 per cent rise on top of the annual increment.
Under the airline's proposal, a flight attendant who earned HK$10,000 a month last year would get HK$10,350 this year in recognition of her years of experience. That would rise to HK$10,450 with the pay increase.
According to the union's demand, the total pay increase, including the annual increment, should be about 8 per cent.
Over the last two decades, unions at Cathay Pacific have taken industrial action only a handful of times.
Many of the actions were called off at the last minute. But a 17-day walkout by flight attendants during the peak Lunar New Year break in 1993 cost the company HK$240 million.
And a dispute with pilots in 1999 forced the cancellation of about 1,000 flights.
Standing firm
Cathay Pacific bosses are refusing to move on their pay offer to flight attendants of: 4.5%
