Cathay boss stands firm ahead of pay talks
Chief executive stays firm on offer to flight attendants but stresses airline remains open-minded in seeking common ground
Cathay Pacific is seeking common ground with its flight attendants union even though its already rejected offer of a 2 per cent pay rise is "very much" a final decision, chief executive John Slosar said.
In an interview yesterday on the eve of talks resuming with the union today, Slosar said he could not describe himself as positive that the dispute over next year's pay rise and other matters could be resolved within a few days as negotiations had not yet started.
But he stressed that the airline would be open-minded in an effort to reach common ground.
"If you go back and look at the past, things can normally get resolved quickly," he said.
His comments came as the union also criticised the airline for its announcement that cabin crew flying to Riyadh would not get a night's rest in a hotel there, instead having to rest in-flight on the journey back to Hong Kong. The union said this would be exhausting for the crew, and criticised the airline for announcing such an "inhuman" measure ahead of today's negotiations.
The pay dispute was sparked after the airline announced on November 30 that its flight attendants would get a 2 per cent pay rise next year instead of the 5 per cent the union had sought.
The 6,000-strong Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union has threatened industrial action - a work-to-rule or limited services - before Christmas, escalating to a strike on New Year's Eve.