From The Star Newspaper today.
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Cathay Pacific ad upsets pilots
HONG KONG: An advertisement placed in The Star by Cathay Pacific Airlines to recruit pilots has upset the Hong Kong Airline Officers Association, which is accusing the company of trying to employ cheap labour from Malaysia.
The association has warned that this would lead to worsening industrial relations between the staff and the company.
Cathay Pacific has denied the association's claim and said the scheme was still at an "exploratory stage,'' according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
However, association general secretary John Findlay countered: "You don't advertise in a newspaper and set up interviews if the scheme is merely intended to be exploratory.''
He said this was in breach of the spirit and details of the agreement on conditions of service reached in 1999.
In the advertisement, Cathay Pacific is offering first officer freight pilots RM163,848 (HK$344,888) in the first year, similar to that for a second officer here.
Successful applicants would get a chance to move to the territory after three years of service.
The airline, in dismissing the association's allegations, said it would pay the pilots according to market forces.
"At this stage, I would say that we are at the exploratory stage and will be looking to see if the candidates are good enough,'' said corporate communications manager Rosita Ng, adding that Cathay Pacific was looking to recruit the best pilots in the world.
The dispute is the latest in a series between the union and the airline.
In December, the airline struck a compromise deal with its pilots, agreeing to a 4% pay rise over the next year to avert the threat of flight disruptions during the Christmas holiday season.
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Related Link;
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story...ewspage=Search