CATHAY Pacific managing director Rod Eddington has attacked Hongkong's antiquated labour laws in his first public speech following the airline's high-profile flight attendants' strike.
He also highlighted the poor health of the aviation industry worldwide, warning that more airlines could go to the wall.
The airline chief attracted a record attendance when he appeared as guest speaker at yesterday's Australian Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Furama Hotel.
The chamber attracts about 120 guests to its regular meetings. Mr Eddington pulled in 260 guests, up 30 per cent on the chamber's record.
Mr Eddington spoke freely and openly without a script, answering a barrage of questions from the floor.
''I left Australia in 1974 to go to live in England for a few years. I left just as the iron ore miners were going on strike about whether there were three flavours of ice-cream in the staff canteen or four.
''So I was delighted when I went to England, but I walked into 'the winter of discontent' and the five years that followed it there, so when I came to Hongkong I thought 'thank God I'm getting away from all that'.'' He continued: ''I think Hongkong frankly as a community and as a business entity is extremely naive about industrial relations issues.