"and the purpose of the intervention is to try to improve the relationship. "
Here's an example from Cathay:
From the Business Times of Singapore
Published November 29, 2003
Cathay Pacific staff get 3 weeks' salary plus bonus
By VEN SREENIVASAN
CATHAY Pacific's staff cheered last Friday as the airline announced that it would be paying them an ex-gratia sum amounting to three weeks' salary this month. The payment virtually covers the entire three weeks of unpaid leave its worldwide staff voluntarily took during the Sars-induced crisis.
Asia's 6th biggest carrier is also paying its 121 Singapore-based staff a 1.5 month year-end bonus.
The airline cut capacity by as much as 45 per cent and suffered losses of US$3 million a day at the height of the severe acute respiratory syndrome pandemic in the April-June period.
Cathay Pacific had asked its staff to take 4 weeks of voluntary unpaid leave. Over 99 per cent of its staff agreed. However, a quick industry recovery which kicked in in July enabled this unpaid leave to be cut to just 3 weeks.
Unlike most other Sars-hit regional carriers, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay did not implement wage cuts for its 14,500 staff worldwide.
Cathay's Singapore country manager James Ginns described the payment as the company's way of recognising the sacrifice made by its staff during tough times.
'The ex-gratia payment is in appreciation of the support by staff around the world when the company was faced with a crisis,' he said.
Cathay reported a record first-half loss of HK$1.24 billion. But the post-Sars recovery has been swift and strong, and analysts expect Cathay to post full-year profit of almost HK$1 billion.
The airline is now filling 75 per cent of its seats, compared with 25 per cent during the peak of the Sars outbreak. Last month it carried 1.02 million passengers, up from 951,703 in September. It has also been recruiting staff and upgrading its fleet.
In a separate development, Cathay has asked CIAS to handle its line maintenance and cargo handling function, which was previously handled by Sats. But Sats still handles Cathay's ramp operations, catering and security. Cathay has also taken over its own mechanical maintenance and passenger handling in Singapore.