Reasons for a yes vote.
I will probably get a fair bit of stick for this but in my opinion it is the sensible thing to vote yes.
What will Cathay do if we vote no? Capitulate or teach us a lesson. People have already broken the training ban, you think those who are on the fence will support an AOA that sold us out? This will be the excuse many need to resign from the AOA and go into training. I don't think it will be a flood but there will be some, not enough to solve the issue for CX. As alluded to above, they will find ways to circumvent the TB. External parties training, KA, people going over to POS18 past 55 and "made" to go into training, additional perks for trainers. What will we do? Continue not answering our phones and mainly not accepting new training positions, will this cripple them like so many on here believe? They are a vindictive bunch and will do anything to get one over on us.
Pay, 1% is a joke and 1% is what it will be if we vote yes. What will it be if we vote no? Pos18 was brought in when they were apparently being crippled by CC and the TB. How many pay rises have A scale had since B scale arrived? I honestly don't think they will give us more if we vote no. For the majority at CX upgrades have been delayed due to this, my best guess is at least by 12 months. That is a huge pay cut for the majority, and that lasts a career.
RPs, one of the biggest gripes it seems is the reserve of 3 or 6 days and O days attached. How is it now? GGGRGG I have seen, I have also seen RDutyDutyDutyDutyOO, what have we (AOA) done about it? Nothing! They will continue to be punitive with this in true CX style just to teach us a lesson.
HKPA, it's a bit better but still woefully inadequate. These pipe dreams of it being indexed are just that, dreams. Indexing a housing assistance has bitten them before. How much has been lost since TA16 was turned down buy guys on HKPA? I voted no for that in the incorrect assumption that the AOA (us) would tighten the screws, be aggressive in negotiations, walk away from **** offers, lead from the top and have more training resignations than we did.
ARA, this is the only thing that has me on the fence. I do not think it right to vote yes to something that will cause people to lose out, guys in serviced apartments will be out of pocket. I am on ARAPA btw. Do I think they will impose this rule regardless, yes. Do I think we (AOA) will support action against the company for doing this if the offer is turned down, no I don't. I would be happy to and would expect it, but it is not just me. They want this gone, if we vote yes at least we know we have 10 years till that time comes. By then we will be in the vast minority, do you think an AOA then would support us? That is also the case in 5 years if we vote to reject this, if they come after it, will we be successful in fighting them. During the next down turn, maybe in 1,2,3 years, if they come after it will we be successful? Current negotiations indicate no. There are too many CNs and trainers on ARAPA for them to cancel it now, so if we vote no I expect it will be rolled over with the serviced apartment change included.
Umbrella agreement, this is truly shocking. If we vote yes we have lost any leverage for a long time. They will over staff training to protect against disputes when each clause expires. We will lose any power we have. Can someone explain what that power is in Hong Kong? We have power if we are united, unfortunately we are far from it and will keep moving further from that ideal as more join on reduced terms.
I know I will be labeled as scared, of capitulating, of giving up. I have come to the realisation, when this was recommended and there appears to be no plan in the event of a no vote, that CX is dead as a prosperous career for a pilot. They will hire more and more from anywhere, people will see this as a good deal, commuting to the Philippines or Vietnam, working less days for more than they got working for an airline such as Cebu Pacific or VietJet. I have no loyalty to CX, once it makes sense for me to go home I will but for now that time has not come, I know it will, that is the only certainty I have with my career at CX.