Construction workers in Hong Kong earn almost as much as you will as a new SO!

[yokebearer]

SCMP today.

Scaffolding erectors and metal rebar benders earn $ 1200 a day. Its cash and they pay no tax. They get virtually free government housing and are completely covered by free healthcare.

Think about what that says about the so called 'professional pilot' when a 18 year old can make 80% of the money you will make.
And you will pay for your housing.

[711]

Why are you guys so obsessed with what new joiners earn? Do you really think this has any influence on our conditions of service?

Market forces reign HK,plus throw in a little bit of legal aspects ( rare ) and that's pretty much it. Cathay doesn't need to put pressure on us, the markets do ( or, unfortunately not very frequently, markets ( not us/AOA etc) press Cathay for a wage increase).

I am convinced everybody would be on B scale now if the A scalers would have put real pressure on the company back then, market forces would just have pushed harder.

If new joiners want to do this job for the money they offer, fine with me. Just please do not ever complain to me when sitting next to me and I can't go anywhere for the next 12 hours.

One more aspect : Cathay looks primarily at the average cost per mile. If they can recruit for less than B scale then this leads to a decrease and as long this number is about where our competitor's is everybody is happy. If they cannot recruit for less they might have to try to lower conditions for all, again if markets and legal obligations do allow it.

[brisdude]

I agree, todays SO package is less then ideal or what it was. But remember it does advance. A local carpenter behind mesh and bamboo 40 stories high in HK won't however have much in the way of promotion or payrise so it is a bit of an unfair comparison.

You could say the same in Australia about tradesmen earning 70k compared to a bloke up top driving left seat of a F100 or a Metro for much, MUCH less...

[ReverseFlight]

You could say the same in Australia about tradesmen earning 70kMy tradie works as a sub-contractor for two major developers in Victoria as well as in his own spare time and he must be earning more than that ! Even my flight instructor is a full-time tradie - instructing is only his pastime.