CX use to have an in house dept organizing bases. They lacked the skills to do it correctly. A Swire man has currently moved into office to get things right. They are shocked at the mess, and are frantically searching to solve things.
They are currently doing a test run in the US, to sponsor green cards.
Other based ports are under review and will need to be filled very soon. They are just working out a method which would result in the least court cases & costs.
Full Expat contracts in HK are under pressure due to a new discrimination law that says Locals need the same terms. Thus doing a feable attempt to get all new expats on local terms, to avoid an uproar.
This has bitten them in the teeth as they are 160 behind in the 250 aimed recruitment they need this year. Next yr 200.
Thus they have given an improved draft "final" offer to see.
Sadly it won't work either as there are simply not enough interested.
Strangely it will become similar costs for those on full Expat terms and those on bases.
What is more important is getting experience pilots & now as many Planes are arriving ASAP. HKA are starting to poach Cx & KA pilots aswell.
(ironically most locals) Cx lost about 30 pilots last year.
So don't sign anything yet. There will be DESO on expat terms & DEFO on some bases soon. Cx will need to get out their wallet & soon. That is why the threatening you with "Final Offer" as a last disparate attempt to see if it could maybe work before going back to the old days of hiring.
This is a winning batting wicket for pilots, but just don't get run out too soon you can NEVER regain what you lost! be warned.
Have faith & balls! Hang in there for awhile! Make up professional excuses.. Getting married this year, just bought a new house long notice period needed etc. Thus stall things for a few months.
