To Nitpickers point:
The latest AOA update to come out has some very interesting language that appears to be turning up the thermostat on our unresolved issues of pay, FTL, basings, housing (25 year), etc. If you are not an AOA member, I suggest doing so. At a worst case, it is a reasonable fee for the Insurance program it provides, and at best, you can keep up on what is surely to be a turbulent year.
To Cathay Management: We pilots really are a reasonable bunch of fellas. Our grievances and issues are legitimate, and we simply ask for an audience to deal with those things.
We feel it is a poor management style to force industrial unrest in order to have a simple chat, and resolve issues to both our satisfaction.
I am a business owner myself, and can say with confidence, that if I was approached by one of my employees who said they had some issues, and needed to talk, it would be done without question. That doesn't mean that I can necessarily accomplish all of what they like, but an open, honest hearing is a given.
We don't want to kill the Golden Goose, but inflation and costs here in Hong Kong are killing us. Hard.