Where should I start...
I personally have no problem for expat to earn whatever package that they are earning but it is the arrogant attitude from the expat who thinks they deserve what they deserve that drives most of those who are on local COS nuts.
First let me rebutt some points brought forward by our original poster...
1) If it is discrimination paying local pilots less, then is it also discrimination not paying upwards of $700,000 HKD to train an expat " off the street " ( I believe only locals or children of permanent ID holders can apply for cadetship ? )
It is not discrimination for not paying to train an expat... HK law say explicitly that it is not illegal to discriminate against others not in HK... so not paying for the training cost for someone "off the street" from let say Australia or USA or whereever else, is perfectly legal in HK! However if CX only hires Chinese and not Indian, Japanese, Black or Caucasian who has HK resident status, then CX is discriminating. In this case, CX is not doing that.
2) In KA, JFOs fly from the RHS of A330/320 with less than 200hrs total time, so is it not discrimination against non-locals who have to have 2500 hrs before KA will look at us ?
It is perfectly legal for KA to do that... any JFO, even with as little as 200hrs has met all HKCAD requirements to qualify to perform their duty as an JFO at KA. So it is 100% not discriminating. It all depends on HKCAD requirements, because aftertall, they are the air regulating body for any HK airline.
3) Does any sane person really think we would leave our home countries to live 8,10,12 + hours from our friends and family in some of the worst pollution in the world for no reward ?
Yes... you leave because you think the CX offer a package that outweights your inconvenience, that's why you are here, is it not? So if your argument is valid... why do you think that it is not the case for some cadet who happens to have HK resident status but in fact are from Australia, USA, Canada, UK, France, South Africa, Japan, etc etc... so are you really discriminating against them?
So overall... there is no point to argue with the original poster really... soon reality will have to set in for many of the expat in CX that the laws in HK are indeed changing, albeit slowly but it is changing... With the latest Race Discrimination Ordinance that will come into play later this year. There are a few things that CX will need to resolve.
One particular is the following:
“It is unlawful for an employer, in the case of a person employed by that employer at an establishment in Hong Kong, to discriminate against that employee (based on Race, Color, ethic origin, and others as stated on the Ordinance Section 2)–
a) in the terms of employment which the employer affords that employee;
b) in the way the employer affords the employee access to opportunities for promotion, transfer or training, or to any other benefits, facilities or services, or by refusing or deliberately omitting to afford the employee access to them; or
c) by dismissing the employee, or subjecting him or her to any other detriment”
This particular section, in simple English terms, it means that a company in HK can no longer offer EXPAT and LOCAL terms for the same job. This is also how the Equal Opportunity Commission explain it in their Q&A to the public. There are a few other obstacles for those who are already on Local terms, and there are a few points in this ordinance CX can argue otherwise, but it does looks like there is a strong case for the locals and lots of valid arguements for the locals in this new ordinance, and you will be sure that a lot of locals will soon be asking AOA and others to look into this issues as soon as the law comes into effect later this year.