Cathay staff agree to joint protest over medical fees

[CRWCRW]

Cathay staff agree to joint protest over medical feesMartin Wong
Updated on Dec 04, 2007
Cathay Pacific ground staff and cabin crew, angry at recent changes to their medical benefits scheme, will stage a protest on Monday.
They have also threatened to strike if management refuses to speak to them next week.
Speaking after a special meeting at the Regal Airport Hotel attended by 200 members, the chairwoman of the airline's Flight Attendants Union, Becky Kwan Siu-wa, said they demanded that the management listen to their views.
"We will have a protest next Monday and urge management to talk to us as soon as possible," she said.
This is the first time Cathay cabin crew and ground staff have united for a common cause.
Under a new scheme to start on January 1 that covers 10,000 workers, junior staff who joined the company after June 1997 will have to pay HK$30 for each consultation with a general practitioner and HK$50 for each specialist consultation.
For senior staff, the fees will be HK$50 and HK$100.
Ms Kwan did not reveal what form the protest would take, saying the union was still planning the event.
"But then we will escalate our industrial action if the company still fails to respond to us by that day. We may have a strike," Ms Kwan said.
"We may ask union members to call in on sick leave. We may ask our members not to serve passengers on the planes."
The union said the new scheme was unfair.
"Why should we pay at all? What will this lead to? Will it be the beginning of requiring workers having to pay to go to work?" Ms Kwan said.

The union said it had received feedback from disgruntled members and from ground staff colleagues over the proposal.
Cathay Pacific management said the new system was aimed at offering more protection to staff rather than asking them to pay more.
A company spokeswoman said: "The new scheme was proposed because many staff members told us that the current one cannot cover their medical expenses if they are critically ill and they have to be admitted to hospital."
She said the scheme would raise the company's insurance costs by 10 per cent.

"Many staff members support the new scheme. And in fact we have already revised the scheme a little bit after listening to their opinions, and the clinic fees were lowered," she said. She noted that the airline had been discussing the issue with the union and would continue negotiations.

[rick.shaw]

And the spin just keeps getting better and better!!

[iLuvPX]

At least they have the huevos to stand up for what their members want. Maybe they should give the AOA some lessons...

[Busbert]

Message from William Chau sent to all ground staff this evening. Head buried in the sand, or at least somewhere else quite dark.:ugh:

Basically to summarise:
Concerned to see FAU threatening to disrupt operations at festive season.

Such action will alarm public and undermine confidence in Cathay, and affect other employees.

Rightchoice is enhanced (obviously...!?)
Changes in Rightchoice will align with the market (or at least the Dickensian companies they chose to benchmark against!)

Blah blah blah about the changes and how they have been introduced not to save money.

And ends
Quote
I hope that the FAU will take all this into account and adopt a more constructive approach in dealing with this matter. In doing so, they would benefit not only their members, but also their other colleagues throughout the company and our customers.
Unquote

Sounds like we are in for a winter of discontent.

[cpdude]

Blah, blah, blah is right. I wish we had the guts to stand with the FAU and ground staff.

CX will only learn the hard way...shut them down Becky!:D

[Busbert]

Because of the CoS for the flight crew CX would not dare mess with the medical as they know that they would be in the high court post haste.
Same goes for the A scale (pre 93) and B scale (93-97) ground expats.
Post 97 ground expats, cabin crew and all local ground staff are on 'RIGHTchoice' so they get whatever the company considers as RIGHT at the time in question.

Moral of the story: Cathay will treat its staff just as well as they have to to keep our of court (most of the time).

BTW the flight crew will get all of the upside of the new scheme with none of the downside.
I'm not surprised that the AOA is not saying anything (except maybe 'I'm all right Jack')

[cpdude]

I'm not surprised that the AOA is not saying anything (except maybe 'I'm all right Jack')

If we supported them more often maybe they would support us!

[Hellenic aviator]

I reckon now is an opportunity to show some solidarity amongst us (cabin crew / pilots / ground staff ).

....whether we have a "set of kahunas" is another issue... :hmm:

[Kitsune]

There is a more serious side to this for us of course. If CX follows the same form as the last three cabin crew strikes flight deck crew will either be rostered or 'asked' to man the doors (no cabin service) to 'help the company out'. As we are qualified to operate the doors due to the SP course, junior crew can be left in an invidious position.

[cpdude]

'help the company out'

I stopped doing that a while ago!:p

[cxhk]

Where is the AOA? This is exactly the time to show some balls and standby our flight attendent, in turn, when we need their support, they will do the same. It is sad that the AOA didn't come out to support the FAU, this just shows how useless and outdated the AOA has become. They don't even realize that this is the best opportunities to help strenghthen our own causes (Ie our COS issues with the company), and also the flight attendent and ground staff. I can't stand the lack of pro-active action fron the AOA, it just makes you wonder, what are they doing with all the members fees... Very sad...

[Apple Tree Yard]

it's situations like this that make me weep with frustration as to the complete inability of our so called 'profession' to get its collective act together. Why any young pilots continue to waste their careers here is beyond me. This is not one airline...more like seven of them!:ugh:

[CXYummyMummy]

We should be supporting the FAU on this as well.

It affects us as well.

We have to take a united front to CX on this matter and everything else. Get the AOA, CPU, FAu and every other union present at CX and Stand Up for Ourselves.

Come on AOA "DO YOUR JOB!!!!!!!!!" Get onboard with the others and get the company to bend over for us.

If the FAu can get a 5% payrise and we only got 3%? WTF!!!!

[Ex Douglas Driver]

From the SCMP online site:


HK hallmarks are high turnover, low pay rises
Hong Kong employees are the second-most-disloyal in Asia and can expect the second-lowest average pay rises next year, according to a regional survey.

I can't view any more than that, 'cause I can't afford the subscription....

http://www.scmp.com/files/SCMP/News/Static%20Files/SCM_News_job07.IMG.jpg

Good to see our 3% is less than the average Hong Kong payrise as well.:hmm:

[CXYummyMummy]

Message from Director Corporate Development

There has been a good deal of media coverage in Hong Kong and some overseas about the threat of industrial action by the Flight Attendants’ Union over the co-pay aspects of our new RightChoice medical scheme for Hong Kong-based staff.

The Hong Kong public, our customers and our employees are worried that if these threats are realised there will be disruption to our services over the peak Christmas season.

The management wishes to assure all of our staff that we are working assiduously to resolve this matter and prevent the worst from happening.

In response to feedback from staff and their representatives, we have already lowered the level of co-pay for the most junior members of staff.

We have also announced the establishment of a Working Group which will involve staff representatives, including the FAU, to review the scheme in the third quarter of next year when we have some solid experience of how it has settled down.

We are communicating on an ongoing basis with staff about their ideas as to how the scheme might be improved. We have issued an invitation to the FAU for further discussions but they have so far not responded, and plan a large public demonstration in Hong Kong on Monday.

While we recognise that staff hold a variety of views on RightChoice, we consider threats of sick-outs, refusal to serve passengers and even strike action a completely disproportionate reaction, especially at a time when many thousands of people in Hong Kong and many parts of the world are eagerly looking forward to a year-end break flying Cathay Pacific.

The company will continue its discussion with all staff representatives in seeking to resolve the matter and ensure the travelling public and our own employees enjoy a peaceful and trouble-free festive season.



Augustus Tang

Hey Augustus..... What are you going to do on Xmas day when all your flights are manned but no service? What sort of image is this going to show the public about Cathay and their management? What will the mainland directors think of Cathay Management when they can't even control their own staff?

Swire Board - you'd better pull finger and actually pay your staff and listen to their needs. You'll be the laughing stock of other managers around the world for this stuff up. Phillip Chen will be laughing his head off.

You don't believe me? Then wait and see what happens between now and Christmas. The public is starting to realise that Cathay is screwing it's staff. With all the industrial news in the papers lately it's hard to miss. The public is starting to question why?

All I can say is

"BRING IT ON" - Screw CX management

[slapfaan]

Way to go Becky!!! (and FAU members!!)...

Show these bastards on monday that you have the balls...unlike pathetic ST and the AOA..gutless..spineless..useless..

Typical management/swire style from AT's letter again to try and show how they are the good guys and employees simply an ungratefull bunch of idiots..

Hope this demonstration (of things to come!!) will send a clear message to all that staff are fed up with all the :mad: at CX and KA..:yuk:

Time for the masses to take to the streets and sort things out..once and for all..

Viva la FAU!!!!Give 'em hell...:}

[iLuvPX]

I wish the FAU could represent the pilot body also. I'd gladly pay my 3% for that privilege. Best of luck to you guys.
:D

[Hellenic aviator]

Doors to manual.......
There is a more serious side to this for us of course. If CX follows the same form as the last three cabin crew strikes flight deck crew will either be rostered or 'asked' to man the doors (no cabin service) to 'help the company out'. As we are qualified to operate the doors due to the SP course, junior crew can be left in an invidious position.

Kitsune,

If junior crew are 'asked to' man the doors, I can count perhaps 2 doors, maximum 3 that could be manned. What about the rest ? Also, according to Section 2 of Vol. 1, the cheeky bastards don't have a clause that states we can man doors. If so, they would require us to man doors on freighter flights as well. To take this to the extreme per se, what else can they ask us to do to help them out ? Refuel the aircraft ? Assist with boarding ?
Better still, according to my FCOM 3, under Limitations, Minimum Cabin Crew, it clearly states that the minimum of cabin attendants to be carried on flights operated for the purpose of public transport of passengers must be not less than the number of main aircraft exits.
So are they asking us to break a limitation on purpose to help ? Hmm... :hmm:

I have no problem in stating clearly to whom ever asked me to man a door, firstly "I would like to confirm that we are on a recorded line please" and secondly that I refuse, on the grounds that it this is not stated clearly under my CoS nor Vol. 1 Section 2.
Should the person asking me to 'help the Company out' state that I am not acting in the interest of the Company, that I am a problematic employee or words to that effect, I can ask them to look up Vol. 1 Section 4, 4-2-4.
(It pays to 'know' solicitors that specialise in contractual law, and give 'advise' when One might see a need ;) )

[The Rip]

:ok:How can we man the doors? we are locked away in the "Sterile Cockpit" unless they wanna change the policy on that too!

[EXEZY]

I can foresee S/O being an abreviation for "supplementary officer".:}

[CXYummyMummy]

Cathay stands firm on medical policy

Nickkita Lau

Tuesday, December 11, 2007



Cathay Pacific is standing by its new staff medical policy despite a protest by 500 flight attendants yesterday.
Members of the Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants' Union marched from Chater Garden in Central to Pacific Place in Admiralty - headquarters of Cathay's parent company Swire Pacific - to protest the policy, which requires them to contribute to the cost of medical consultations .

The policy comes into effect on January 1, 2008 and covers 10,000 employees including all ground duty staff and flight attendants who joined the company after June, 1997.

Yesterday was the last day for employees to sign up voluntarily.

Cathay insisted co-payment was reasonable as the policy offered employees more coverage, and denied profiteering as its own healthcare spending will increase by 10 percent.

At a union meeting last week members proposed strike action if management did not withdraw the policy.

Cathay's inflight services general manager Charlie Stewart-Cox called union chairman Becky Kwan Siu-wa irresponsible, although she said the union itself did not endorse industrial action.

Dane Cheng Ting-yat, Cathay's general manager of corporate communication, said he did not understand the union's claim.

"We've invited our staff, including the FAU, to talk many times," Cheng said. "I don't understand why they keep saying we refused to talk to them."

Cathay is confident the current dispute will not affect flight services during the upcoming festive season.




meow!!!!!!

[Mr. Bloggs]

As we know, when the Cathay Spokesperson speaks, their lying. You have to love their propaganda machine. I am sure they invited the FAU back many times, NOT.

Now this seems to make perfect sense: the new scheme will cost Cathay 10% more for increased coverage and will cost the employee more out of pocket, but the affected staff doesn’t want to pay out of pocket.

Now to me, this seems like a simple solution. Maintain the current levels of cover and don’t have the affected staff pay. Cathay saves 10%. Finished…………………

Ah yes you may think but what happens if someone is lying? It is actually costing CX 10% more? I don’t think so. That’s why they want it pushed through.

Seems they lie to the public all the time and get away with it. Maybe that’s why they think they are untouchable. I guess the public and Pilots are stupid enough to believe them in the first place (If you don't take a pay cut, they will shut down the bases).
If the affected staff takes action, get on your running shoes folks, take cover and make sure you have your adult diapers so you don’t make a mess.

Oh dear, can't get my smiles to work.

[mrfox]

Ah yes you may think but what happens if someone is lying? It is actually costing CX 10% more? I don’t think so. That’s why they want it pushed through.
Maybe not an outright lie.
Its 10% more compared to last year's insurance cost.
Oranges this year cost more than apples last year also.

[Numero Crunchero]

Our total pilot salary bill has gone up since 2000 but the cost per flying hour has gone significantly down. WHich statistic do you want to quote? Of course we now have 50% more pilots but on average they earn less, thanks to the ever decreasing ratio of A scalers, and we all do approx 20%+ more hours now than back then.

So medical costs go up because prices increase AND staff numbers go up. A GP panel doctor here in HKG gets less money than a GP does in Australia. Lauren Bramley has had to resign from the panel due to inadequate compensation. I am sure CX still 'spins' to new joiner pilots that you get 100% coverage - just as long as you can find a Dr willing to take $270HK for seeing you. Specialists in HKG have two lists....one for those that are in a real medical scheme, like BUPA, and one for CX. The latter group usually get appointments way off in the future. Of course this is completely opaque as it is not allowed but ask any Dr friends you might have.

Lastly, I see that the limits for dependant operations have gone up. I have been talking to some medico friends who suggest that typical operating costs have gone up over 100% since the policy was introduced...CX limits just went up about 16%.

Who was it that quoted it was death by the nibbling of a thousand ducks;-/

[sugaryblue]

If anyone is smart enough to do the maths (this excludes most idiots on discuss.com), they would've realised that the 'extra 10% increase in cost' as claimed by the company, will actually come from the co-pay scheme out of staff pocket.

their publicity department is just too good :*

[rick.shaw]

As usual, the CX spin doctors are out in force. NC - I totally agree. CX has significantly failed to keep up with the real costs of everything from medical insurance to hotel allowances. The Right Choice scheme is woefully inadequate and no wonder more and more Doctors withdraw from the panel. It's just not worth their while or the hassle.

Indeed, medical costs have skyrocketted in the last few years. But the Right Choice increase has seriously failed to keep up. Also, more and more medications/items that are covered by the medical scheme are being dropped off the list of medications covered under Right Choice.

CX are smart. They rarely make large changes. They make a change here, a change there, and before you know it, the overall package is quite different to that which you started with when you joined. No prizes to guess who has benefited.

To put it in another way, the spending power of our package has significantly decreased over the last 10 years. The 'home-currency-dollar', the 'allowance-dollar', the 'medical-dollar', the 'lifestyle/productivity-dollar', the 'staff-travel-dollar' and the list goes on. Just about every facet of our package has taken a hit in one way or another. And the company (oops, sorry, Group) is openly making the best profits yet.

[BScaler]

...and here is the posted response of the AOA President to the valid concerns of the FAU and LSU who actually got people out onto the streets in protest...

As representatives ourselves, we fully sympathize with the FAU and LSU over how this affair has been handled and understand their concerns as to whether Cathay Pacific is sincerely committed to working with its staff groups over issues that will affect them.

...so what sort of support would the AOA expect from the FAU or LSU if and when we have serious issues with the Company as we appear to be going down the road of with threats of legal action in response to the demise of FACA, (a consequence of the AOA failing to oppose the imposition of CoS08)?

What solidarity from our colleagues elsewhere in the Company can we expect when we can only bring ourselves to 'fully sympathise' with their plight?

The AOA President must be able to do better than this.