Since the Cathay Pacific Airways pilots' dispute started, I have read many letters from readers, some disgruntled with the pilots and others supportive. Many correspondents have concentrated on the financial aspects of being a pilot and lamented how much they get paid. They forget the number of years spent training to become qualified and the fact that on a professional basis the career of pilot would rank fairly highly and as such should be remunerated in a similar fashion. Leaving one's native country to live and work in Hong Kong indefinitely is a big step and there must be rewards. Hong Kong is a wonderful place, but at the end of the day it is not the same as home. To get professionals to do this job and live away from home, the rewards have to be decent and the lifestyle satisfying. The question I pose is on what terms do other professionals come to Hong Kong? I suggest their packages far outweigh those of a Cathay pilot. Confidence in Cathay has wained and as a result its share price has plummeted. Although the economic slowdown is a causal factor, the major factor has to be the abysmal way in which the company is mishandling the pilots' dispute. Surely, management in this day and age recognises that happy employees would be far more productive than unhappy ones. How happy would the average lawyer or accountant be if at the 'drop of a hat' their careers could be terminated for no good reason, or when they turned up for a day's work in the office they found out they had to fly off to Karachi for a week? The time has come to resolve the differences sensibly. The outcome must be a win-win situation. Cathay is a good company, but it has the potential to be a great company with synergy. How much could the record profit have been last year if there was synergy instead of adversity? NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
