I have to say CX has acted appallingly in this case; it really is not acceptable, if the company is to attract the very best pilots, to treat ANY employee in this way. I remember a few years back, while Peter Sutch was chairman, they published in their annual report a list of commitments, including making CX one of the best places to work, etc. etc; what has become of this? Surely they still realise that staff input is required to main the airline's standards. CX has the potential to be one of the best, if not the best airlines in the world and also one of the most successful. The ball is now firmly in the airline's court and I sincerely hope the union makes it clear to them that this will not and cannot stand.
Is there any arbitration system in HK? Can't the HKAOA start the ball rolling by offering a concession, such a 5-10 year no-strike clause, in exchange for the reinstatement of the crews and a decent roster system (for example)?
Finally, what are the nationalities of those involved? Presumably, there are nationals of CX destination countries - New Zealanders, Aussies, Canadians, British etc; would it be worth considering some kind of legal or even government action in the "home countries"; certainly, if an Irish pilot were treated in this way, I would expect the Irish government to bring the matter to the attention of the Chinese embassy; if Ireland were an online destination, I'd expect some threat to withdraw Cathay's route authority if this did not work. A little drastic perhaps, but something worth considering down the line . . .