Cathay Pacific unions say no action expected this Christmas season

Holidaymakers could rest easy when planning their Christmas trips this year as it was very unlikely there would be any industrial action, the spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific's cabin crew said yesterday.

"The company has been quiet and cautious about creating any irritating issues to upset employees at year-end," Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union chairwoman Dora Lai Yuk-sim said.

The holiday season has long been a tense time for the airline as it is when discussions about annual pay rises for the more than 6,000 cabin crew are discussed between the union and the management. If there are any pay disputes, the airline can be threatened with industrial action.

Last year, the union threatened to hold a work-to-rule over the Christmas travel period and even escalate this to a strike over New Year after the airline offered a 2 per cent pay rise.

The dispute was eventually settled with a deal on working arrangements, after a two-day meeting between representatives from the airline, the union and the Labour Department.

"No actions can be foreseen, it would be hard to initiate any actions without a light to spark anger," Lai told a media lunch.