Threat of Christmas chaos as Cathay pilots and crew ponder strikes

Cathay Pacific is facing mounting pressure from both pilot and cabin crew unions to prevent industrial action over the busy Christmas season.

Sources said the airline had already met the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association and the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union separately to discuss pay rises for next year, but no agreement had been reached.

"The association has been authorised by the members to go ahead with any forms of industrial action if the airline does not offer a satisfactory reply on or before [today]," a Cathay pilot said on condition of anonymity.

The authorisation was passed after about 90 per cent of the association's 1,900 members voted for a motion in an online poll in September, he said. It was unclear how big a pay increase the association is demanding from the airline as it has not informed its members about it. But the demand was likely to be based on a survey of members it conducted earlier on the issue, the pilot said.

"I support whatever industrial action the association wants to go ahead with, if that needs to happen. We pilots need to stay united," he said.

The cabin crew union met the airline for the first time yesterday. The 6,000-member union has four demands: a pay rise of 7.5 per cent; extending the retirement age from 55 to 65; reviewing the difference in promotion prospects between local and overseas crew; and cancelling an eight-year cap for housing allowances.