Cathay stands firm on medical policy
Nickkita Lau
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Cathay Pacific is standing by its new staff medical policy despite a protest by 500 flight attendants yesterday.
Members of the Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants' Union marched from Chater Garden in Central to Pacific Place in Admiralty - headquarters of Cathay's parent company Swire Pacific - to protest the policy, which requires them to contribute to the cost of medical consultations .
The policy comes into effect on January 1, 2008 and covers 10,000 employees including all ground duty staff and flight attendants who joined the company after June, 1997.
Yesterday was the last day for employees to sign up voluntarily.
Cathay insisted co-payment was reasonable as the policy offered employees more coverage, and denied profiteering as its own healthcare spending will increase by 10 percent.
At a union meeting last week members proposed strike action if management did not withdraw the policy.
Cathay's inflight services general manager Charlie Stewart-Cox called union chairman Becky Kwan Siu-wa irresponsible, although she said the union itself did not endorse industrial action.
Dane Cheng Ting-yat, Cathay's general manager of corporate communication, said he did not understand the union's claim.
"We've invited our staff, including the FAU, to talk many times," Cheng said. "I don't understand why they keep saying we refused to talk to them."
Cathay is confident the current dispute will not affect flight services during the upcoming festive season.
meow!!!!!!