Cathay Pacific cabin crew may follow pilots in taking industrial action over pay
Union says newer staff are being asked to sign contracts that pay them less than colleagues - and may follow pilots in taking further action
Cathay Pacific's biggest cabin crew union is threatening to follow the airline's pilots in taking industrial action over pay and working conditions.
The Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union is demanding talks with management over what it says are unfair changes to staff contracts - and is warning of a summer showdown unless bosses relent.
At issue are permanent contracts for crew who have completed their initial three-year contracts. The airline is asking those who started after March 31, 2012, to sign contracts with basic pay about 10 per cent lower than those who signed up beforehand. Newer staff will earn HK$159.30 per hour's flight, while longer-serving staff doing the same duties get HK$176.80. For ground duties, they will get HK$79.65 per hour, down from HK$88.40.
The 6,000-strong union says the new recruits are "being treated unfairly" - but wants the matter settled through talks.
"We do not wish to cause too much inconvenience to the travelling public, so our target time for industrial action will be the summer," union chairwoman Dora Lai Yuk-sim said.
"We believe this period will give Cathay Pacific enough time to respond to go back to the table to resolve the issue.