bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Danny Lee

Cathay Pacific cabin crew will cast a key vote on Tuesday at an emergency general meeting on whether to give the Flight Attendants Union the power to take legal action against the airline.
The Hong Kong carrier’s largest unionised workforce is continuing with its push to revise and reverse the impact of new contracts, which include permanent pay cuts and termination of cabin crew who do not sign up.
The union did not elaborate on the details of any potential legal action.
In a small step forward for the union, the airline said on Monday it had offered fresh incentives to encourage remaining holdouts to sign up for the new, cheaper contracts.
“It is our sincere desire that all of our cabin crew members will sign across to the new contract and join us in being part of Cathay Pacific’s future,” a company spokeswoman said.

Almost two weeks ago, the company announced the biggest mass lay-off to hit Hong Kong in three decades, axing 5,900 jobs, mostly affecting local staff, and closing its Cathay Dragon brand in a drastic effort to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Locally, 4,000 cabin crew, 600 pilots and 700 ground staff and office workers were made redundant.
The airline has sought to cut the cost of its more than 2,000 Hong Kong-based pilots and 8,000 remaining cabin crew with cheaper contracts that could mean pay cuts of 20 to 40 per cent for flight attendants and 40 to 60 per cent for aircrew.
Bankruptcies loom large on airlines as they face a bleak winter
Cathay set a November 4 deadline for both employee groups, but sought to encourage earlier sign-ups among flight attendants by dangling a one-off payment for those who took the deal by last Wednesday. Originally, there was to be no transitional financial help for those who did not accept early.
Most cabin crew and pilots signed new contracts last week to get maximum transitional benefits.

In the revised package, even the newest signatories would get a transitional allowance from January to March next year at 50 per cent of the original offer. Flight attendants originally got at least HK$8,000 (US$1,025) to sign up early.
Also, flight attendants recruited overseas would keep their existing housing or relocation allowance until June 30 next year as part of the revised incentive.
The revised offer for unsigned cabin crew aligned with an existing incentive for pilots who also did not accept their deal by last Wednesday, but who would get various benefits for one year, rather than two, if they signed up by November 4.


The Flight Attendants Union, however, was continuing to push for an extension to the November 4 deadline.
An airline spokeswoman said: “There will be no extension to the November 4 deadline for cabin crew to sign across to the new conditions of service, which are very market competitive.”
Separately, the pilots and cabin crew unions are set to sign a pact on Wednesday to work more closely and pool resources, the first such agreement in their history, as both feel intense pressure from the airline’s restructuring.


Cathay extends Hong Kong to Middle East flight suspension until end of April

30% jump in demand for regional holidays among Hongkongers amid Middle East war

Hong Kong should work to ensure a steady fuel supply amid war in Iran

Beijing first stop as Cathay launches global drive to hire 3,000 workers

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific cabin crew set to vote on whether to give union power to take legal action against airline

Cabin crew have until November 4 to sign up for new contracts. Photo: Felix Wong

Cathay Pacific Airways employees leave Cathay Pacific City, the company's headquarters in Chek Lap Kok. The Hong Kong-based airlines axes nearly 6,000 in a restructuring plan to survive the coronavirus pandemic. 21OCT20 SCMP / Felix Wong

A cargo aircraft operated by Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. takes off from Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Cathay became the latest global carrier to seek a lifeline in the aftermath of Covid-19 travel restrictions, outlining a plan to raise HK$39 billion ($5 billion) from the Hong Kong government and shareholders after months of warnings about the frailty of its business. Photographer: Roy Liu/Bloomberg

Founder of regional airline Cathay Dragon sad over closure but proud of creating Hong Kong icon

Chao Kuang-piu stands beside a Dragonair plane in this undated image. Photo: Handout

Rosa Chak Suk Ching, the first female pilot of Dragonair.  06NOV87  SCMP

A Dragonair plane flies over Taikoo Shing, a private residential estate in Hong Kong.

‘Majority’ of Cathay Pacific pilots, flight attendants have opted for permanent pay cuts, Hong Kong’s flag carrier says

A Cathay Pacific staff member walks by an aircraft bay with some of the carrier’s parked planes. Photo: Robert Ng

Carol Ng Man-yee, Chairperson of General Secretary of Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) speaks as members of Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions protest to Swire against massive lay-off in Cathay Pacific Group at One Pacific Place, Admiralty.22OCT20 SCMP / Felix Wong

Pilots of Cathay Pacific arriving at the Hong Kong international Airport in Chek Lap Kok.    26OCT20     SCMP / Winson Wong

News

Hong Kong

Transport


Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union is continuing with its push to revise and reverse the impact of new cut-price contracts
Airline has set a November 4 deadline for aircrew and flight attendants to accept their deals, which include big pay cuts



The Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union is continuing with its push to revise and reverse the impact of new contracts.
