So now what ???

[Captain White]

:confused:
So what are CX & KA going to do with all the crews furlowed, on leave-without-pay etc etc when the SARS situation stabilises in HKG & Asia ???

:sad: It already appears that HKG is over it !!!

The rest of Asia will follow within the month so what will the Magic Management do then ????

Demand that the Drivers return ? :p

[Cpt. Underpants]

Cathay Top Management are doing the fiscally responsible thing in response to a less-than-stellar performance by the HKSAR Government. Cathay are not, not ever have been, pro-active in their actions, always reactive. Nothing has nor will ever change the way they react to changing circumstances in Asia. In many respects, it's a strength, not a weakness in the Cathay Management style.

Personally, I have signed the consent form and made the necessary adjustments to my lifestyle to absorb a 17% pay-cut for 6 months, as have the majority of the aircrew here. If it's over before then, well-and-good. I will be happy to come back to work earlier than anticipated if it means full pay. If not, then we'll do whatever it takes to continue to operate, even if it means furloughs for the new joiners.

The WHO has well and truly done a number on Asia, Toronto and the develloping world, and the media have been willing partners in the biggest scam ever perpetrated - SARS. I predict a major overhaul of WHO in the near future and an enquiry into the role of the media in creating the mass-hysteria that followed the "travel advisory". This has been a disgrace.

[BlueEagle]

The following post was made by Notso Fantastic in another forum but I think it is well worth repeating here as I am sure many people look in Fragrant Harbour Forum in the hope of finding out what is really going on and not just what the media is saying:

Posted by Notso Fantastic

posted 10th May 2003 10:40
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reality will sink in soon and things will get back to normal once we establish we have a very limited area infection:
The number of new infections in Hong Kong is very small. And it is smaller still if you account for cross-family infections and infections of health workers. Medical experts calculate that the number of unlisted carriers still out there on the streets must also be tiny. In theory, it could be a single individual.Any child with Hong Kong Form 5 level mathematics can tell you that for seven million people to wear masks on the street to protect themselves from a disease possibly carried by even a few dozen people is ludicrous. Yes, it is wise to wear a mask when you are working in a Sars hospital. But outside? Experts say no. Compare the statistics for other diseases. There are 200,000 cases of yellow fever a year, killing 30,000 people, with death rates in some areas hitting 50% of adult victims and 70% of child victims. The disease strikes mainly in South America and Africa. The W.H.O. does not advise people to avoid South America and Africa.

In the United States, deadly strains of influenza are sweeping through cities, killing 36,000 people a year. The W.H.O. does not advise people to avoid visiting the US. The number of people carrying Hepatitis C in China is counted in the millions. But that fact did not trigger a travel advisory against China. Bacterial meningitis hits 1.2 million people a year, killing 173,000 people, with most victims being in Africa. The W.H.O. does not advise people not to visit Africa. When you compare the 173,000 deaths of bacterial meningitis with the five Sars deaths in Vietnam, you start to realize that we need to get things in proportion. If there are seven Sars carriers left walking the streets of Hong Kong, there is literally a one-in-a-million chance of meeting one. Do the math.
Attrib: Nury Vittachi, Hong Kong 5th May 2003, (for the benefit of non-Hong-Kongers, Nury is a well known journalist who has worked for the South China Morning Post, The Far Eastern Economic Review and Asian Finance, plus other publications.

In short, SARS is incredibly low down on the scale of risks. There are some wonderful, never to be repeatd opportunities, for cheap vacations in Hong Kong. Wear glasses if you are really worried-chief transmission route now expeted to be rubbing eyes from contact with people you are literally not going to run into. You are more at risk walking up Streatham High Street from God knows what!

Things will come back to normal very quickly. It's Ebola and Lassa Fever we want to worry about. When that get out we will have the plague of the middle ages back!

[firehorse]

On a PAL flight last week MNL - HKG you were greeted at the door by a lovely pastel blue face mask thrust into your hand designed for mandatory wearing. The thing was of chocolate ashtray quality and I am sure it wouldn't have stopped a milford sound mossie let alone an airborne nasty. Suffice to say I delined to wear it so off running to the HMFIC for a bleat she departed, funny thing was that as I was in business class she forgot about me and ran after the folk in cattle class that also declined to adorn the fasahion statement. Ahh the power of hysteria...

[Snake Hips]

Capt. Underpants pretty well spot on I think. The hysteria is extraordinary, although the media's predeliction for bad news is well known and understood. I too share concern over the power wielded by the WHO in terms of adverse economic impact on various countries by their pronouncements. Having said that, if their pressure forces disclosure from certain contries trying to cover up a potentially serious problem, then perhaps they are doing a worthwhile job?
Tricky one

[christep]

I sense that the media is beginning to realise what it has done and is starting to see sense. At a lunch today at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in HK I spoke to a number of the journalists and they seem to be agreed on this. At the lunch, Vivian Wong, Director at the Hospital Authority also presented figures which showed that the number of deaths in HK from Atypical Pneumonias in the first four months of this year increased by less than 5% from the corresponding figure last year (and cases labelled as SARS constituted about 12% of the total Atypical Pneumonia deaths in that period). In other words, what we have is a re-classification of a proportion of cases, but no significant increase in the overall chances of dying of pneumonia in Hong Kong.

Some more data and analysis at my website: http://home.so-net.com.hk/~pns/

[FaPoGai]

Cher Firehorse Underpants et al

All good commonsense stuff BUT remember where you are.
H-K is dynamic go ahead entreprenurial and Rumor Driven.

Any one remember the incident a few years ago when a journalist sitting on a bus passing thru Central noticed a queue of people outside a local bank and called his office to report it?
The news spread like wildfire and within the hour the Bank was besieged with thousands of depositors trying to withdraw funds,
the queue was halfway across Wanchai before the rumor was squashed.
What had actually happened was that it was raining and the people were sheltering under the building canopy rather than standing at the bus stop and getting soaked!

Thats H-K and so with the SARS but then the whole place is larger than life and thats why you love it or hate it. nIt might take a while to recover from this one but recover it will.

Rgds, FaPo Gai (masked)

[smallwing]

Kinda reminded me of the Hello Kitty frenzy a few years ago. People saw a queue onto the sky bridge leading into Immigration Centre in Wanchai and people started to join and not realizing that others were just waiting to the their ID card!!

Hong Kong people are gullible and always with the idea in their mind that they are always being left out of something good.

Currently I think the main set of people that needs to change their attitude to the SARS are the foreigners that stopped transiting HK or traveling around Asia. No doubts it will take some time for China to settle down, but that shouldn't stop people from passing through Hong Kong for other places.

It is high time for people to realise that life goes on, we still gotta eat sleep and be merry. Can't stop all that for a flu. Just gotta be cautious and hope for the best.

[spannersatcx]

Cpt Underpants, you say Personally, I have signed the consent form, for which I thank you, as have the majority of the aircrew here.

Unfortuunately this is not so, latest figures showing support for the SLS are Cockpit Crew 46% Cabin Crew 40% Ground Staff 91%

I sincerely hope this is because a lot of people are away en route etc... perhaps you need to give them a gentle reminder of what may happen if we don't all take 4 weeks unpaid. I'd have to change my username for one!:{

[siddique2]

Well said spanners isnt it about time the crew did their bit!

[whodunnit2]

Well said Captain U, spot on the number.

Spanners & Sid2 - patience!!

I'm pretty sure that by the deadline tomorrow the numbers will look a lot more impressive and representative of how the crew feel about helping out.

Latest figures have Cabin Crew at 60%, Cockpit Crew at 55% and Ground Staff above 90%.

I'm pretty sure that that doesn't mean the Crew are less willing to apply but rather that unlike Ground Staff they aren't around every day.

[spannersatcx]

Don't get me wrong I wasn't having a dig at anyone. I sincerely hope that everyone appreciates the gravity of the situation. I know that the HKAOA and the company have agreed to put aside their differences at this difficult time, which should be commended. I'm just worried that's all.

[Liam Gallagher]

Spanners etal,

Indeed these are worrying times, however it is important to keep at the front of your mind, that the hysteria of others has got us in this situation. Be careful not to fuel further hysteria.

To that end, DT has clearly explained that whilst SLS will save the company cash, it will not in itself save the company. It therefore unhelpful to be already lining up certain groups within the company for blame.

Stay calm, fly safe and support Hong Kong.

[Pointer]

Well it's worth the 'paper' we write on.

Apparently some North American said the following (if any one could tell me who it would be appreciated);

There are two kind of lies; ordinary lies......and Statistics!

I do agree on the fact that the media has over reacted. But without getting into the conspiracy thing, who launched the media hooks and was it convenient for some?

Secondly; is the fact that this thing did not get out of hand (with dead in the several hundreds or worse) due to the fact that it was a ‘minor’ outbreak or did the reduction of travel indeed add to the demise of the virus? No prove has been produced other than statistics. See above.

Not to take a stand but merely to point out the fact that the use of statistics were in the beginning grounds for issuing the WHO warning and later those same statistics are used to counter that decision.

WHO is fooling WHO?

Good luck at CX
Pointer

[411A]

Reported today by the Dow Jones News Service that DT has sent a memo to some departments mentioning that CX may have to sell/mortgage aircraft if the situation does not improve....and NO extra cash from the head shed in the UK.

Not good news, but expected.

In addition, Delta in the USA will ask pilots for a 25.6% pay cut...those high(er) wages for some crew really do bite into the bottom line.

Expect more of the same...worldwide.

[Avago]

411A

The 'memo' to which your refer was actually the transcript of a briefing that was given last week in the lead up to the company's announcement that it would be asking all staff to take 4 weeks unpaid leave over the next 4 months. In that briefing the CEO outlined the company's financial position and all the various options that were available to boost the cash reserves. Selling aircraft to raise cash was one of the options mentioned, but the CEO quite clearly stated that this would be a complete waste of time in the current market. He also stated that the company was not about to run out of cash any time soon, but they were doing everything in their power to preserve the cash reserves in case the current situation drags on for a long time.

Yet again, a case of selective reporting by scum journalists trying to beat up a story.

[livingthedream]

97.65% of all statistics are made up on the spot.:ok:

[FlexibleResponse]

Statistics! Don’t we just love them?

CX has $HK13,180 million liquid funds (Annual report 2002)
CX retained $HK938 million of the shareholders’ final dividend.
CX requested a gift of $HK330 million of employees’ pay (one month)

Total funds = $HK14,448

CX employees contribution = 2.3% of total

Aviation analysts estimated that CX could survive for 500 days on the $HK13 billion figure.

Therefore CX can now survive for 548 days.

For the loss of one months pay the staff have added just 12.5 days.

For the loss of 12 months pay, CX survival days could be increased by 150 days.

[Schrodingers Cat]

Shows how strong the power of rumour is though...checking into a hotel in USA East Coast yesterday, mentioned to the co that I'd been shopping in HKG 4 days before.... the check in staff all nearly fainted and tried to check me in from the back office. (Doesn't normally happen until much later in the day.....):O

[jungly]

God Bless America and the media!

Did you know that 200 people are admitted to hospital EVERY day in America...and 14 of them die....EVERY day, from an e-coli strain they got from eating fast food hamburgers with tainted meat! Although adults get it too the average age of death is just 6yrs old!

Perhaps the hotel staff should shy away fatboy burgers instead!