Cathay News
This is an open letter to all pilots seeking employment with Cathay Pacific.
Please pass this on if you know of anyone currently considering Cathay. Please read carefully if this applies to you. My apologies for the length of this letter but you must be aware of the implications of pursuing Cathay at this time.
Cathay Pacific is now in an industrial dispute with its aircrew. The aircrew are negotiating through the Hong Kong Aircrew association (HKAOA). The association represents approximately 87% of the aircrew at Cathay Pacific. The current dispute is over our next contract. That contract will expire this year for some and next for others. The expiring contract was forced upon the aircrew in 1999. The choice was sign and accept lesser terms of employment or to be fired. In protest there was a mass sick out. However management prevailed and the contract was enforced. In order to slow the current negotiations down the management has not allowed the AOA negotiators to have the required time off, have set long timetables, and refused to release employment and financial data to the AOA so that they might submit realistic proposals. The current negotiations are meant to solve both the rostering and monetary issues. At this time we do not have any control over the roster. There is no overtime. There is no extra pay for extra work. You can be on the road for 22 days a month, with only 2 or 3 days in between. There are three pay scales, within which there are many differing conditions of service and benefits, and our retirement scheme will not last more than a few years after retirement. On all of these issues the company has remained hard lined and unwilling to compromise.
This brings us to where we are today and why it affects you the interview candidate so directly. As of July 1st in an effort to put pressure on management to negotiate fairly and timely, an incremental step was taken in our contract compliance. As you may or may not know we have been following contract compliance for a year and a half. That means we are working to the letter of our contracts and no more. Hardly seems like a problem until you realize that 10 to 15% of the roster is covered by unpaid overtime. So our next step has been a campaign called "Maximum safety ". This means that we read all the notices we are required, do not rush preparations, and do our job to the safest level. As a result every flight will encounter delays, as there is insufficient time allotted for these tasks. If this does not sound like a big threat you will be surprised that the company’s reaction was so harsh. The company has elected to react in a disproportional manner and have fired 52 pilots. They have chosen Captains and First officers associated with the AOA as well as outspoken or critical members. Not one of these terminations would be legal in North America. There is the threat of continued firing until we the AOA submit.
So that brings us up to date. If you are in the interview pipeline, it is unfortunate timing. If you were to join Cathay now you would be replacing union members who were fired for their union affiliations. I cannot tell you what the ramifications may be, but it will affect your long-term outlook at Cathay. I regret that it must be this way, I regret that our company has decided to wage war on our pilots, and I regret that you will not be able to take advantage of what may seem like a good opportunity. So please put off any interviews, and put off any job offers, until this dispute is over, until our 52 comrades are reinstated. Then and only then will you join a company worth giving your life to, and only then can you join in good conscience.
Thank you for your time
At war in Hong Kong