Guys.....we need to get down off our self appointed pilot pedestals! Cathay is never going to give us a pay rise because they think we are owed one, or because we are so highly trained, or inflation has gone up, or our purchasing power has been degraded etc etc etc.
If you were NR....would you sit at the Swire board meeting and explain that although no current pilot shortage exists, you have given a 15% payrise to the pilot body? I think any board would have a hard time swallowing that. Whilst the interview slots are full, and training is running at full steam with a steady stream of new joiners coming through the door, we've got no chance of any significant rise.
Cathay exists for one reason only...to make money. Pilot's are but one cog in this money making machine. It's not a boys flying club any more....it's big business. The only reason the company will improve pay and conditions for this small cog is if they need to.
The only way we will see a significant improvement in pay is if Cathay can't attract people to join, or cannot retain those who are already here.
The only way we can accelerate this improvement is to either leave ourselves for better pay, or discourage new joiners from joining on inferior pay.
It's not rocket science....just basic market forces.