Cathay Pacific and others offer perks to New Year's Eve staff

Cathay Pacific will give its pilots and cabin crew a bonus of up to 10 per cent of their monthly salaries to work over New Year's Eve.

'It is an incentive reward for staff to work over this period,' spokeswoman Quince Chong Wai-yan said.

'This is an historic moment because they will never experience another change of millennium again.' Dragonair says it will reward staff but refused to give details.

British Airways is paying staff up to GBP400 (HK$4,980) or four return flights if they work over the period.

Confederation of Trade Unions general secretary Lee Cheuk-yan said most industries would not pay bonuses.

'This is not a statutory holiday, only a public holiday, and workers will generally not get any special payments,' he said.