Lest We Forget
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the day that the management of Cathay Pacific Airways, under the auspices of the Swire Group, decided to attack its pilots in an attempt to impose unilateral, drastic contractual and work rule reductions and break the pilots’ union by sacking 49 of them all on the same day, then subsequently defaming them in the world’s media thereby destroying their careers, causing family breakups and with three people losing their lives in the aftermath. It took 10 years for the pilots finally to be exonerated in the courts of law and have their reputations restored, consequently exposing the Cathay management for what it is and in its true colours. It was an honour and a privilege to stand with The 49ers throughout those trying times and I salute all of you who stayed the course and finally prevailed against those unscrupulous people.