Originally Posted by
krismiler
During the 1980s Cathay was the best paid airline job in the world for those on the "A" scale, industrial relations were good, Hong Kong was still under British rule. The Middle East 3 didn't exist and CX was a premium long haul airline and the gateway airline into a rapidly opening up China.
Recruitment was highly selective and most applicants were rejected. Captains from other airlines joined as first officers and often doubled their pay. No one left for any other airline, if you got in you were made for life and retired a UK pound millionaire in the days when that meant something.
"B" scale pay was probably the start and things seem to have been on a downward trend ever since.
Many reasons for the decline in conditions, not least would be the Eddington and Turnbull types, middle level managements furious envy, pilots themselves and mostly a supply and demand thing.
In 1989 KA, probably the best paying narrow body airline anywhere was desperate to get crews. By 1990 they had hundreds if not thousands of applicants and found they could get any number of crews to accept a B scale and they did so. CX followed shortly after and from that day on divided and conquered the pilot group, effectively weakening the AOA and the DPA. It only became worse in 1994 with another divisive contract adjustment, later the "local" package, C scales etc.
Very few of the current CX or KA aircrew have not accepted an inferior package at some time compared to the early days so they need to accept some responsibility for the situation. I'm not blaming anyone, we all have to work. It's sad but it's not just HK