SCMP
Saturday, May 19, 2001
EDITORIAL
Flying into trouble
Summer approaches. Time for the Dragon Boat festival, the schools to break up, families to fly out on holiday, and for industrial action by Cathay Pacific pilots.
The monotony of this annual ritual by Cathay pilots or aircrew is alleviated only by the form of action chosen. Working to rule, calling in sick, going slow, refusing to smile at passengers - there seems to be no lack of ways to inconvenience travellers and challenge the management.
Confrontation between the two has such a long history that the first seeds of discord are lost in the mists of time. But there has been little peace in the company since a strike by the Flight Attendants Union in 1993. During the Asian financial crisis Cathay lost $542 million, recording a loss for the first time in its 35-year existence. During the same period there was trouble over attempts to cut salaries and compensate pilots with stock options, plus a management attempt to change the terms of pilots' contracts, and to sack those who refused to agree.
A confrontational attitude appears to be the main negotiating tactic on both sides. Or so it looks to outsiders. It is impossible to tell which party is the most at fault, but there must be some reason why Hong Kong's flag-carrier has so many work-related problems. It is certainly not because of poor working conditions or low wages for pilots. While it is true that they are less pampered than in the past, they remain among the best paid in the industry.
It would be optimistic to hope that these disputes can be settled quickly, but a solution may be more likely if the intervention of a third party is accepted. The Labour Department has stepped in to knock heads together in the past. This time the Cathay management has refused to consider a mediator, so no doubt the two sides will go up to the line again, with all the uncertainty that imposes on the travelling public - and the subsequent loss of business as passengers book with rival airlines.
Another damaging dispute can still be avoided, if there is a willingness for compromise.
Constant in-fighting is bad for the status of the company and the image of its staff. And it does little to fly the flag for Hong Kong