Airbubba
20th May 2001, 11:30
That's one of the tactics predicted in this SCMP article. Has this ever been tried before?
I agree the scheduling is pathetic by "modern" standards - a day off is just one where the phone didn't ring.
CX used to be a helluva job...
__________________________________________
Saturday, May 19, 2001
Cathay pilots poised to disrupt summer flights
EXCLUSIVE by JO BOWMAN
Cathay Pacific pilots are poised to take industrial action which they say could disrupt summer flights in a way that eclipses the chaos resulting from their pay dispute with management two years ago.
Long-running talks over crew rosters have collapsed and the pilots' union, which represents about 1,200 of the airline's 1,500 pilots, has told its members they have no choice but to force Cathay's hand.
It says the company is now offering roster practices that are worse than those already in place, which pilots say mean frequent last-minute shift changes and leave them unable to plan time with their families.
Cathay said yesterday the union had walked out of negotiations despite the company's "generous" offers, adding it hoped talks could resume and a settlement be reached. But it could not guarantee that travellers with tickets for July would get their flights.
Union memos to members obtained by the South China Morning Post say crew will vote on "limited industrial action" on June 20; the action would begin on July 1 and run indefinitely. The summer months are the busiest time of the year for Cathay flights, with between 130 and 150 scheduled flights in and out of Hong Kong daily.
Asked how the impact on passengers would compare with the 1999 dispute - which led to about 1,000 flights being cancelled after pilots called in sick en masse - a senior pilot said: "It's going to be worse than that. This is a serious dispute we're about to enter into. We expect it to get dirty."
Exactly what tactics will be employed are yet to be spelled out to pilots, but they are believed to include a go-slow, which involves crew conducting safety checks repeatedly in an attempt to make flights late. Pilots are also expected to agree that only captains will land planes. They usually take turns with junior first officers so they can meet minimum requirements to remain qualified.
The source said that if no first officers did landings, it would take a couple of weeks for them all to be disqualified from flying, leaving Cathay with a huge crew shortage. It is also understood that pilots will stop reporting for work earlier than the required 80 minutes before departure.
In his memo to crew, union president Nigel Demery said strike action was still a possibility but he believed the "limited" action would be enough to make Cathay agree to union demands.
Cathay spokeswoman Rosita Ng Lai-ting said yesterday: "We're very disappointed we've not been able to make an agreement with the Aircrew Officers' Association. We remain committed to the negotiations and we're hopeful that a resolution can still be reached."
She said Cathay had made many "generous" proposals, but the union had refused them.
Aircrew Officers' Association general secretary John Findlay was unavailable for comment.
I agree the scheduling is pathetic by "modern" standards - a day off is just one where the phone didn't ring.
CX used to be a helluva job...
__________________________________________
Saturday, May 19, 2001
Cathay pilots poised to disrupt summer flights
EXCLUSIVE by JO BOWMAN
Cathay Pacific pilots are poised to take industrial action which they say could disrupt summer flights in a way that eclipses the chaos resulting from their pay dispute with management two years ago.
Long-running talks over crew rosters have collapsed and the pilots' union, which represents about 1,200 of the airline's 1,500 pilots, has told its members they have no choice but to force Cathay's hand.
It says the company is now offering roster practices that are worse than those already in place, which pilots say mean frequent last-minute shift changes and leave them unable to plan time with their families.
Cathay said yesterday the union had walked out of negotiations despite the company's "generous" offers, adding it hoped talks could resume and a settlement be reached. But it could not guarantee that travellers with tickets for July would get their flights.
Union memos to members obtained by the South China Morning Post say crew will vote on "limited industrial action" on June 20; the action would begin on July 1 and run indefinitely. The summer months are the busiest time of the year for Cathay flights, with between 130 and 150 scheduled flights in and out of Hong Kong daily.
Asked how the impact on passengers would compare with the 1999 dispute - which led to about 1,000 flights being cancelled after pilots called in sick en masse - a senior pilot said: "It's going to be worse than that. This is a serious dispute we're about to enter into. We expect it to get dirty."
Exactly what tactics will be employed are yet to be spelled out to pilots, but they are believed to include a go-slow, which involves crew conducting safety checks repeatedly in an attempt to make flights late. Pilots are also expected to agree that only captains will land planes. They usually take turns with junior first officers so they can meet minimum requirements to remain qualified.
The source said that if no first officers did landings, it would take a couple of weeks for them all to be disqualified from flying, leaving Cathay with a huge crew shortage. It is also understood that pilots will stop reporting for work earlier than the required 80 minutes before departure.
In his memo to crew, union president Nigel Demery said strike action was still a possibility but he believed the "limited" action would be enough to make Cathay agree to union demands.
Cathay spokeswoman Rosita Ng Lai-ting said yesterday: "We're very disappointed we've not been able to make an agreement with the Aircrew Officers' Association. We remain committed to the negotiations and we're hopeful that a resolution can still be reached."
She said Cathay had made many "generous" proposals, but the union had refused them.
Aircrew Officers' Association general secretary John Findlay was unavailable for comment.