A GEM from a MORON in todays SCMP.....

[Sleeve_of_Wizard]

From the letters section..........

"I was alarmed to read of Cathay Pacific's record loss for 2008. It has prompted me to suggest some cost cutting initiatives to Cathay Management.
Many Hong Kong - based pilots have multiple careers, first as property developers, and second as pilots ( flying only takes three to four days per month)
Cathay permits staff to convert their housing allowance into mortgage payments. When property debt reaches zero the employee either loses this allowance or buys another property in the same manner.
As a result, second and subsequent properties are often leased to new Cathay staff relocating to Hong Kong. The objective here is to maximise tenants housing allowances and offer rebates to reflect the true market price and split the difference. I suggest Cathay trims down the number of Hong Kong based pilots, allowing them to reside in home countries to which Cathay flies.
Pilots needing to stay in Hong Kong can stay at Cathay City before piloting a flight to their home base, or be given duty travel. Cathay would save on housing alowances, properties in bubble locations such as South Lantau would reflect their true values, and rebates to friends would stop.
This has to be a win - win situation for Cathay and residents"

*******************************************************

Sour grapes? Or something else???

Funny none the less!!!

[Frogman1484]

That might work if Cathay city was a 2000+ room hotel. If Cathay Px 20-30 crew per flight to and fro from UK/Us/Aust etc :ok:

[jacobus]

Where can I get the roster with 3 to 4 days work a month this d*ckhead thinks we do ??? :} Having said that the letter is at least fulfilling the SCMP's usual high standard of journalistic content.:ugh:

[gliderboy]

I think the 3-4 days comes from some simpleton deducing that 80 hours flown per month equals about 3 and a bit days!! (3 X 24)

Gliderboy:8

[sizematters]

hey, who told this Barsteward about my roster ??

[Apple Tree Yard]

Fellas, get used to this sort of thing. For those of you who haven't been here that long, this is typical of CX managements psych-ops methods. They start to plant 'stories' and 'letters' in different media, designed to induce the public into resenting the pilots and the supposed 'mega deal' that they are employed under. In every period of tension between the pilots and management these sort of articles/letters begin to appear. Ignore them....:ugh:

[ROKAPE]

Instead of ignoring them the AOA/DPA should be responding via media outlets.

[mr did]

ATY yes this is the usual method but it would be a brave bunch to try that tack this time around. What with grotesque Fat Cat bonuses for delivering mismanagement, fines for board sanctioned illegal cargo operations and huge losses, it wouldn't take much to go after them with the same bat. I don't think even CX management are that stupid.
Me thinks this is just some "Moron" as first mentioned.

[Old China Driver]

..sorry Mr Did, but having been around here many, many years...I smell the usual CX PR machine 'rat'. Believe me, they stoop so low they can crawl under worm sh*t....!

[CYRILJGROOVE]

I also smell a rat, a very familiar rat if you have been with CX for a while, however as other posters have stated.....this time around the world is a lot more wary of management bonus payment for under performing companies like CX who have screwed up managing fuel hedging, illegal price fixing and industrial relations just to name a few. If we get rolled again without a fight imagine how long it will be before new RP's are forced upon us with zero employee input.

The minute a reduced contract or second rate conditions is offered, it should be gloves off from the AOA and fight back hard as the Engineers union in Australia did. Dixon took them on expecting them the fold however things did not pan out as he thought and he left as probably the most hated man in Aus aviation with his reputation trashed. Wouldn't be surprised if he is shamed into returning his golden parachute someday.

The general public may not fall for the pilot bashing as they have in the past by Arrogant Ignorant and Greedy managers.

Or the company could try negotioating in good faith for the first time ever!

[4PW's]

I am not with CX, so pardon me for an offering you may not want.

Ignoring the letter would be as mistaken as ignoring a shark circling underneath you while sitting out the back at Straddie's Main Beach.

So how to respond? The only way is to get the public on-side.

Comparing pilot salaries to Management salaries paid in spite of monumentally yet entirely avoidable and costly mistakes is to miss the chance of a lifetime.

Sully's story, Hero of the Hudson, needs drawing out in words that show piloting for what it is, a noble profession operating in an unforgiving environment.

Someone work on it for God's sake, and soon.

I'm busy being lazy:ok: