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inanotherworld
12th Dec 2015, 10:43
The GMA's latest update on the failed HKPA mediation inadvertently revealed Cathay's end-game with regards to expat housing.

With the mention that the company - as part of the negotiations on HKPA- had offered to extend expatriate housing "until 2020", Perret put "paid" to the speculations about the future of the current expat housing conditions. With his statement, he maladroitly exposes the fact that the company indeed has a deadline in mind for expat conditions and that the "extension" is a mere carrot mechanism to divide the troops and force the preposterous HKPA conditions into acceptance. Even if the current HKPA offer were to be accepted (pigs will fly..), what would then happen to expat housing in 2020? That's 4 years away!

Here's a question: what happened to 25 year housing in exchange for unpaid leave, Mr. Perret? Oh.. did no one inform you? One of your illustrious predecessors in Flight Ops management, Mr Nick Rhodes, made a promise to the pilot corps back in 2008 when the company needed our help. BEFORE HKPA. Now, I do realize that, in retrospect, any statement of commitment made by Nick Rhodes sounds nothing less than comical nowadays, what with perjury (49ers court case), cargo price fixing, the Paris base criminal proceedings, etc. but surely there must be some fibre of moral responsibility left within Cathay management.. Or is there? What happens to all the families who agreed to come to Hong Kong with their husbands or wives on the basis of decent housing conditions back when Cathay offered such a thing? And who now have running mortgages? Is 2020 their exit date?

The company is offering a 58.33% increase for a year 1-2 captain on HKPA over a period of 3 years, culminating in HKD 38,000/month after the whopping increase! Did you know that 58.33% of **** all is still **** all, Mr.Perret? Just for the record: why don't you send us an email with the details of your housing allowance, so we can think about your whole line on

"we believe the HKPA offer put on the table in August was both fair and reasonable given the operating environment we face and the needs of pilots who receive the HKPA. "

What the hell would you know about "the needs of pilots who receive the HKPA"? Do you fly around with the HKPA guys who have to go into debt or dig into savings to put up their family decently in Hong Kong so they can work for Cathay Pacific? How's your housing allowance doing?

Let me tell you something Mr. Perret: You and your "experienced in the airline business management cracks" think the current "operating environment" Cathay faces is challenging? You keep right on hiring cheap kids with zero flight experience to fly your cheaper jets. You keep right on diluting the expat package your experienced crew are on. You keep on scaling back on F and C-class catering the way you have been (you seriously think no one noticed the f...g salt and pepper had disappeared?) and you keep on pimping Cathay into the cheap, lacklustre outfit it is so fast becoming and you'll see what a challenging operating environment really looks like...

Oh no wait... that's right: you won't. Because you'll be long gone! You'll all be partying on champagne on that sunny island along with Philip Chen, Tony Tyler, John Slosar, Nick Rhodes, Richard Hall and all the others who are still actively committed to the success of Cathay Pacific's bright future they helped to build...

Sayings become sayings for a reason: it is because they are true.

Here are 2 of them you might want to think about:

- "If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig."

- "You pay peanuts, you get monkeys."

Yours truly.

Trafalgar
12th Dec 2015, 16:04
If the company wants the vast majority of their C and T's to resign immediately, then go ahead, make our day. I suggest that their offer to extend the housing until 2020 shows you how nervous they really are about the consequences of tampering with the lifestyle of their most senior pilots. Most of us are one frustration away from leaving.

...on another note, I was highly amused by Perret's quote regarding the rising cost base of $450m over 4 years. Hmmmm, less than half of one years loss on fuel hedging. I suggest you focus your 'cost saving' efforts on all the other morons this company employs that lose billions more than over 3000 pilots combined. Pathetic.

Avinthenews
12th Dec 2015, 19:27
How much "housing" or "allowance" do the ex CX pilots (RH, RF, etc etc) get as sim instructors? Are they not HK permanent residents? Thus on local terms?

That HKPA offer was simply to get new recruits in the door and when 10+ years down the track with a family you'll be screwed on the pittance that goes towards a 3+ bedroom place.

clear.right
13th Dec 2015, 01:48
There is an extra 3 at the front!

Are 3s expensive?

This financial wizardry stuff is beyond most of us simpletons.

anotherbusdriver
13th Dec 2015, 03:40
My contract states that the company will provide a housing allowance, and it must be adjusted to reflect market conditions to provide suitable accomodation.

Company policy provides the details, and this can be changed, or cancelled by them, it's true. But the onus is on them to continue to provide me with suitable accomodation as per my contract - which cannot be changed for the worse without my consent.

We have data, and an agreed benchmark: The HK Government index. So for the company to decide to try and change our agreed definition of "suitable" will be hard to do.

The only way would be a new contract. But nobody would sign it, surely?

dribbler
13th Dec 2015, 05:24
A grave error in judgement to change the housing. That's the line in the sand for most of us......

Trafalgar
13th Dec 2015, 05:41
Don't actually care at this point. I've been ready to go for the past year. Meddling with my housing would result in my wife and I being gone in 90 days. Not even negotiable. Many many other T and C have the same bottom line.

dribbler
13th Dec 2015, 07:07
It's quite a strange strategy that they have applied.....
They have too few Trainers. Most of the Trainers will be significantly penalized by the "proposed" changes. Why on earth would you flag such changes in an email to the pilot body? They surely simply must not want anyone to stay in C & T?
I don't know who they think will be flying their planes in the future.....

Trafalgar
13th Dec 2015, 08:09
Appreciate the 'dig' Dan :p. Seriously though, in my case my wife and I will be up and out of HK. It's quite amusing to think that management feel they may have an intact training department after such a move. Not a chance in hell. As for the DFO, me thinks a certain French legal problem is behind his new career. :ok:

updown
13th Dec 2015, 12:10
Good luck in your fight gents.

Have spoken to a few CX pilots at an overnight in Singapore recently, didn't appear to be a happy bunch.