The Basings Manager has said that taxation is a matter between the employee and the authorities who demand the tax. So we are now faced with HKIRD taking full tax and, in addition, paying full tax in home port.
When the Aussie based crew believed that they were not liable for Aussie tax the company paid them a lower salary reflecting their tax free advantage. When the UK cabin crew won their case against HMRC (operators of a protection racket in the UK) absolving them of the requirement to pay National Insurance, this bonus was cited as a reason for them only getting two per cent or thereabouts in the recent pay rise. The company also gained from not having to pay employers NI, but thatdoes not count.
Can I assume that, given the extra burden of taxation about to fall on some of the based crew, and in the light of their previous reaction to taxation changes, the company will grant an immediate payrise to cover the additional burden. After all it was the company and their incompetent advisers who put us in this situation in the first place.