Protests put pressure on city companies to get balance right
- Sackings by Cathay Pacific Airways in wake of China pressure show compromise is never easy when business interests conflict with the rights of employees
No company would allow the actions of employees to jeopardise its business. With mainland destinations accounting for one-fifth of its flights, Cathay Pacific Group, which also owns Cathay Dragon and HK Express, cannot afford to lose the lucrative mainland market. On Monday, its shares fell 4.9 per cent to HK$9.80, after the Civil Aviation Administration of China said airline staff supporting the protests would be barred from flights in mainland airspace.
Social media over the border was also flooded with posts threatening to boycott the carrier. Politics clearly played a part when the airline yielded to pressure. However, from a business point of view, it had no choice but to comply.
Some of those on the mainland had accused the airline of jeopardising passenger safety by allowing a pilot charged with rioting, and released on bail, to continue to fly. Whether aviation safety has been compromised is open to debate, but passenger concerns and the requirements of mainland authorities are not to be ignored.
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So far there have been four sackings at the airline related to the protests – two pilots and two airport workers. The threat to discipline or even sack staff “supporting or joining illegal protests” has been seen by unions as intimidation and an attempt to stop employees exercising their rights under the Basic Law.
The publicly listed airline cannot be blamed for putting its business interests first, but by meeting mainland requirements and taking such an approach to staff it risks losing the business of those opposed to its stance and who accuse it of suppressing the right to protest. There are also fears that police are depriving the public of this constitutional right on the grounds of safety or other reasons.
Under the law, a public procession of more than 30 people can only take place upon obtaining a notice of no objection from police. The force has indeed objected to a series of protests on safety grounds, but this has not stopped people in great numbers from taking to the streets, with some radical activists resorting to violence.
The increasingly politically charged environment makes peaceful protests all the more important. Companies have little experience in dealing with such matters, and they can only follow the law and maintain professional standards in an attempt to strike a balance between the rights of staff and complying with the necessary legal requirements.
