Most “expat” airlines like the ME3 have already cut wages to the bone that it’s going to be unliveable if they do anymore permanent cuts, and these cuts include benefits like the provident fund and now charging a monthly premium for medical.
I’ve done the maths with COS 08 vs a UAE carrier and back then (before the pandemic) the pay difference was very negligible taking into account expenses like schooling, housing etc (cost of living)... the only bright side with CX is that the provident fund was better, retirement perks and a person can actually swap flights and commute if need be
Now with COS18, I know it’s better to be anywhere else in the world than HK. Even Vietjet is looking tempting.