Summer holiday flights under threat as Cathay pay talks break down

Hong Kong passengers could have their summer holiday flights disrupted after protracted pay talks between Cathay Pacific and its pilots broke down.

The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers' Association says cockpit crew may work to rule, known as contract compliance, during the peak travel period in July unless the bitter stalemate is resolved. The union declared an impasse and called for mediation on Friday after successive rounds of pay talks failed.

If mediation fails, pilots are entitled to work to rule under the terms of its "good faith bargaining framework agreement" with bosses, union sources say.

Cathay insisted yesterday it was "committed" to reaching a deal on pay and livelihood issues under discussion since last year, when a previous three-year deal expired. A management source also pointed out that the airline had managed to operate normally during previous work-to-rule protests by pilots.

The union's general secretary, Chris Beebe, said pilots were "frustrated and increasingly impatient" at the lack of progress and said contract compliance could not be ruled out.

"Pilots last had an agreement for pay increases in 2010 and that covered through to 2013. For one year now we've been in negotiations hoping to get the pilots a pay rise and some improvements in their quality of life," he said.

"There is quite a bit of frustration. … The negotiations have proceeded at a glacial pace."