I refer to the letters headlined 'Rights and wrongs of Cathay sackings' (South China Morning Post, July 25). I did not welcome Cathay Pacific Airways' decision to sack 52 pilots.
I felt that rather than helping end the dispute, it could lead to the ill-feeling between the two sides being intensified.
I am not defending either side. I believe both the pilots and the company are responsible for the dispute.
I am not condoning the actions of the pilots. It is not justifiable for their union to use the passengers as a weapon in any industrial dispute.
However, Cathay management should have tried to understand why the union was taking action and should have attempted to seek solutions. The present state of affairs, with both sides hating each other, will damage the company's reputation, and this, in the long term, will retard its development.
Both sides in the dispute will benefit from a negotiated settlement and passengers would certainly welcome this.
