Jose Jimenez
17th Nov 2007, 02:38
It's too bad the pilots don't have the b*lls to do this...
From "The Standard," Saturday, November 17, 2007:
Cathay ground crew in overtime boycott
Patsy Moy
Saturday, November 17, 2007
More than 100 Cathay Pacific ground crew have started a three-day boycott of overtime work to protest at being moved to a smaller common room without proper facilities.
One of the crew members told The Standard the workers might decide on a second round of boycotts during the Christmas peak season if the airline continues to ignore their grievances.
Some workers decided on Friday not to eat out but to have their meals in the new facility, which can seat only 48, to emphasize the lack of space.
The action was not union organized but was a spontaneous action.
According to the crew member, who has worked at Cathay for more than 10 years, the company relocated the common room to a place of around 1,000 square feet at the beginning of the month. This was only about one-quarter the size of the original, which was situated at the other end of the airport, the lease of which had run out.
The airline did not seek their views beforehand. "There is no TV or sofa, only some tables and chairs with a basic pantry, a microwave and refrigerator," the worker said.
"It is not a common room for rest at all, simply a place to have meals like a canteen.
"The company is making a profit but is still short-changing the staff.
" It should provide workers with a better work environment like a cozy place for a break when we work overtime.
"What it has done has severely undermined staff morale," the worker said.
There was such a shortage of ground staff that some had to work double shifts or more than 100 extra hours a month, with a normal shift being about nine hours.
Cathay admitted it had received an anonymous fax complaining about the new common room but a spokeswoman said she believes it represents the views of a small group of workers.
She said flight operations are proceeding without a hitch.
The company said it is not aware of an increase in the number of ground crew refusing to work overtime on Friday.
"Every day there will be some workers who do not want to work overtime for personal reasons," she said.
Cathay said the original common room was a place for management to brief frontline staff and also for workers to rest.
Since the company now separates the briefings from the common room, the workers may have got the wrong impression they were being given less space, the spokeswoman said.
"There is a proper sofa, seats and tables. For the TVs, we are awaiting the approval of the landlord to arrange the antenna and the wiring."
About 1,000 of the 11,000 Cathay workers in Hong Kong are ground crew.
Ground staff are also considering taking industrial action to protest against a change in the medical policy that will require them to pay HK$50 to HK$100 per consultation from next year. Consultations are now free.
The spokeswoman said the new policy would better cover staff as the limits on claims will be higher.
Also the company will have to spend 10 percent more for staff medical expenses under the new arrangement.
From "The Standard," Saturday, November 17, 2007:
Cathay ground crew in overtime boycott
Patsy Moy
Saturday, November 17, 2007
More than 100 Cathay Pacific ground crew have started a three-day boycott of overtime work to protest at being moved to a smaller common room without proper facilities.
One of the crew members told The Standard the workers might decide on a second round of boycotts during the Christmas peak season if the airline continues to ignore their grievances.
Some workers decided on Friday not to eat out but to have their meals in the new facility, which can seat only 48, to emphasize the lack of space.
The action was not union organized but was a spontaneous action.
According to the crew member, who has worked at Cathay for more than 10 years, the company relocated the common room to a place of around 1,000 square feet at the beginning of the month. This was only about one-quarter the size of the original, which was situated at the other end of the airport, the lease of which had run out.
The airline did not seek their views beforehand. "There is no TV or sofa, only some tables and chairs with a basic pantry, a microwave and refrigerator," the worker said.
"It is not a common room for rest at all, simply a place to have meals like a canteen.
"The company is making a profit but is still short-changing the staff.
" It should provide workers with a better work environment like a cozy place for a break when we work overtime.
"What it has done has severely undermined staff morale," the worker said.
There was such a shortage of ground staff that some had to work double shifts or more than 100 extra hours a month, with a normal shift being about nine hours.
Cathay admitted it had received an anonymous fax complaining about the new common room but a spokeswoman said she believes it represents the views of a small group of workers.
She said flight operations are proceeding without a hitch.
The company said it is not aware of an increase in the number of ground crew refusing to work overtime on Friday.
"Every day there will be some workers who do not want to work overtime for personal reasons," she said.
Cathay said the original common room was a place for management to brief frontline staff and also for workers to rest.
Since the company now separates the briefings from the common room, the workers may have got the wrong impression they were being given less space, the spokeswoman said.
"There is a proper sofa, seats and tables. For the TVs, we are awaiting the approval of the landlord to arrange the antenna and the wiring."
About 1,000 of the 11,000 Cathay workers in Hong Kong are ground crew.
Ground staff are also considering taking industrial action to protest against a change in the medical policy that will require them to pay HK$50 to HK$100 per consultation from next year. Consultations are now free.
The spokeswoman said the new policy would better cover staff as the limits on claims will be higher.
Also the company will have to spend 10 percent more for staff medical expenses under the new arrangement.