Absence Management Program

[CATHAY PATHETIC]

Cathay Pacific management are obviously becoming desperate as the recent introduction of an illegal absence management program shows.

Pilots who report unfit for duty 6 or more times a year will be denied basings and may have promotions blocked.

Pilots are bound by law not to fly if suffering from illness, fatigue or stress. This new program places pressure upon pilots to report for duty when they are not fit to fly.

Apparently some pilots have made the decision to operate while unfit for duty as they fear the repercussions. This is illegal and extremely dangerous. The ramifications for both the pilot and the company would be disasterous were an accident to occur due to a pilot being ill while flying.

To all Cathay Pacific flight crew : Do not break the law. Do not operate while unfit for duty. To do so puts you in a precarious situation. We have a resposibility to the travelling public to fly our aircraft to the highest possible levels of safety. Yes,the rostering negotiations have failed again but it should not affect safety. Do not be coerced by this illegal management action to fly sick. I would rather jeopardise my flying career than risk the safety of our passengers lives.

I urge all Cathay Pacific pilots to make this policy well known to the public. Contact your local newspaper. Contact your local civil aviation department. Urge them to lobby Cathay Pacific and stop this dangerous and illegal practice.

Finally, to all our pilots. Please do not fly when you are unfit for duty. To do so would be an end to the professionalism we have maintained through these difficult years. You owe it to our passengers, your family and to yourself.

[This message has been edited by CATHAY PATHETIC (edited 28 April 2001).]

[Don Patrol]

Be interesting to see what the CAD think it.

[The Resistance]

Six periods of sickness huh...? Well, that's easy then. I suggest we all agree to make the company happy......and instead of going sick six times.....let's all go sick ONCE.....for about a month! Something like this is needed to demonstrate to all of us just how malignant this management has become. Instead of addressing the issues that are resulting in increased sick rates (fatigue, frustration, low morale, indimidation, hopelessness), they would rather attempt to bludgeon us into submission. Funny how this management seems to be totally ignorant of history, both social and corporate. History shows unequivocally, that regimes that attempt to obtain compliance through threats and intimidation are doomed to fail. There is not A SINGLE EXAMPLE OF A REGIME or CORPORATION that has survived and PROSPERED through heavy-handedness. Not a single example. KB, NR, DT, you think that these silly and pathetic attempts to put us 'under the thumb' will solve your problems.....? Well, I can assure you that it will in fact result in even greater problems for you. You and your cronies are becoming a sick joke.....and if you have to resort to such sad attempts at coersion as this......you are certifably morally bankrupt. It is feeble attempts such as this that reinforce the knowledge that this regime is crumbling....and this will surely help push the lot of you off the edge. I can promise you this. I will go sick each and every time I am unfit. Your pathetic 'number counting' can be shoved right up your smelly ar-ses. It is now time to act.

[Herb]

It is every pilots responsibilty to make sure EVERYONE on his/her crew is fit to fly.

If someone you know is unfit/sick/fatigued and about to operate you must inform the Captain.
The Captains responsibility from that point is obvious.

[thegypsy]

The Resistance. Sorry to have to disagree with you about Corporations not getting away with the kind of intimidation and threats you mention. S.I.A. have been behaving this way for years!! It helps of course to have a compliant workforce who can be jailed or have their whole careers ruined by putting their heads above the parapet.

[CATHAY PATHETIC]

True.

SIA have been using threats and intimidation for years. Now they find themselves in a position where they are unable to attract sufficient numbers of qualified crew.

SIA have also had numerous incidents due to pilot inexperience and ineptitude. Several incidents have almost cost the lives of hundreds of people. One recent accident in Taipei cost the lives of 83.

You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

[This message has been edited by CATHAY PATHETIC (edited 29 April 2001).]

[ess jay]

Not being an employee of CX, I would be interested to know where this sort of black mailing comes from! Is an individual with enthusiastic management goals responsible, or generally the whole CX management? Also, does this affect all employees, or just Pilots?

[CATHAY PATHETIC]

This absence management program is directed at the pilots.

They have tried blackmailing the cabin crew before with gifts if they don't report sick for a year.

Apparently last year they gave pilots who had no sick leave for a year a free night in the crew hotel. Sounds more like punishment to me.

[geh065]

This can't be serious can it? How can the company get away with saying something like that? Surely even OUR management aren't that stupid...or are they?

[BlunderBus]

I suggest someone contact CAD and REQUIRE a response...where does the law stand?

[highwayman]

Forget the CAD if you aren't well don't fly it's as simple as that. It's your responsibility, not to break the law. They are trying intimidation tactics, so what call them on it! Speak to the duty manager and explain that you are not well but if he orders you to go flying, ask him to put the order in writing and include that he is acknowledging your health state but considers you fit for duty. Trust me you will never receive that letter. Go and see the Cathay Doctors if you are unwell or your own GP get a certificate to CYA but do not go to work sick. You are putting the lives of all the people sitting behind you on the line. It is not fair to them

[Herb]

Highwayman
Speak to the Duty Manager???? Nonsense!
If you are unfit to fly you call crew control. If it's for more than 3 days you ask your doctor to fax the note.
It would be entirely inappropriate to speak to a duty manager whilst unfit.

[highwayman]

Herb:

Sorry not particularly well put. What I meant to say is that if you are being threatened by CC or a fleet manager then go with my suggestion. Intimidation is easy, putting their signature to a document that they know will cause endless problems at a future date is not so easy.

[Herb]

Next?

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010504/ts/germany_lufthansa_pilots_7.html

See the General forum for the story from the inside also.



[This message has been edited by Herb (edited 04 May 2001).]

[BlunderBus]

Actually HWM i was intimating that CAD should assume their legal role and insist CX grow up and forget the whole idea!..it's about time we saw some action from them other than pen clicking on our check rides.