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Redundancies- would you take it

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Redundancies- would you take it

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Old 8th Mar 2020, 21:58
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Originally Posted by lucille
You can bet your bottom dollar that a couple of bright young things with freshly minted MBAs have developed models and war-gamed the various strategies. At its most simplistic, the governing variable will be “someone’s” best guess of how long this Covid19 debacle will go on for. This guess will define how management will play this game out.
You saw how quickly the mainland airlines dispensed with their expat staff. Experience, training and quality counted for nothing. Cost cutting was the sole driver.
They might think themselves bright and have MBAs.

But what they ain’t got is a crystal ball that actually works.

No doubt there will be some scheme/scam to jettison and reduce costs.

But until then they’re stuck with contracts. Some of which are quite pricey when the engines are at idle.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 01:20
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Originally Posted by Farman Biplane
55 year olds are being made redundant at CX every week. A contractual redundancy will not happen as they are conveniently shedding their most experienced/expensive pilots using age discrimination already. Do not ever forget that your Google lawyers don’t have any substantive workplace “law” to use in Hong Kong.
Or, we had the choice, the company gave us months to decide. Can we grow a pair and stop blaming everyone else for decisions we made?
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 01:37
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Originally Posted by lightlysalted
Instead of making fools of yourselves as usual, maybe you should read the "Redundancy" clause in your COS, except COS18 crew (since it has no meaningful redundancy clause).
That would be last on first out?

Though the politicking of those hoping to circumvent seniority always inevitable. Krone are you B Scale KA or Local Contract?

I doubt whether a redundancy package would be generous enough to see many senior pilots exercising that option. Extricating yourself from HKG at the most opportune time will take time if you have kids in schools and assets. Many will just ride on-wherever that ends up.


Last edited by Gnadenburg; 9th Mar 2020 at 01:48.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 04:41
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[QUOTE=lightlysalted;10707294]Instead of making fools of yourselves as usual, maybe you should read the "Redundancy" clause in your COS, except COS18 crew (since it has no meaningful redundancy clause).[/QUOTE

or read the termination clause 3 months no questions asked bye bye?

Last edited by AllWobbly; 9th Mar 2020 at 10:58.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 12:08
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[QUOTE=AllWobbly;10707398]
Originally Posted by lightlysalted
Instead of making fools of yourselves as usual, maybe you should read the "Redundancy" clause in your COS, except COS18 crew (since it has no meaningful redundancy clause).[/QUOTE

or read the termination clause 3 months no questions asked bye bye?
Right but if you terminate to create a reduction, that wont hold up in court. Same thing with a cos in your box type event, if they are canceling a contract again in a poor climate then that is a hire and re hire onto a new contract situation. This will end up in court as a redundancy aswell.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 12:39
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[QUOTE=Natca;10707710]
Originally Posted by AllWobbly

Right but if you terminate to create a reduction, that wont hold up in court. Same thing with a cos in your box type event, if they are canceling a contract again in a poor climate then that is a hire and re hire onto a new contract situation. This will end up in court as a redundancy aswell.
A new contract being argued in court as a quasi redundancy is certainly an argument that would have lawyers salivating but few others. The company last tried this during the Asian financial crisis.

If management are half smart (big if) then they will not link a new COS with a desire for a reduction in numbers. The RIN will simply be an “unfortunate, unexpected and undesirable” consequence of insufficient crew seeing the benefits of a change of contract.

In about 2030 we’ll find out if they’re on solid legal ground. But that finding will do little for those that will be affected by a morally corrupt company.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 16:05
  #27 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by fire wall
3 months pay for every year of service should be the benchmark. At that level the company savings are substantial with anyone on full housing and approx 10 yrs to retirement (about 50% savings on salary and allowances).
Unfortunately we have rats on our ship that will go for far less.
3 months for every year of service , I would go in a heartbeat along with a number of other more senior pilots I suspect . For someone with 25 plus years in the company and less than 5 years to retirement it’s a no brainer . One bright spark in all of this mess is that oil prices are below $30 per barrel , But this covid19 is going to decimate the airlines , the cruise ship industry and the tourism industry . It all depends how long it lasts and the level of concern or hysteria amongst the general population
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 17:17
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"three months for every year"....what are you smoking?? At best such a scheme would be a month for every year worked plus three months. So, a 30 year pilot would be offered at best 33 months. That would also be age dependant. If you only had two years left, they would factor that so you would only get 12 months total (as a guess). If you have 5 years left, then you would probably get the full whack. However they do it, it has to save them money. They did this back in 1998, and it was much like i've just described (others with better memories can chime in). I do suspect they will do something like this, as it is the perfect opportunity to downsize the airline and get rid of their high cost (ARAPA) pilots. CX is probably never going to be this size again. Glory days well and truly over.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 18:24
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With oil at $30-ish a barrel, I'm waiting with baited breath for the announcement that Swires have hedged their fuel purchases for the next three years at $80/barrel. All to stabilise the business, of course, and steady the income stream (or whatever Ivan the Terrible was trying to say in that catastrophic Bloomberg interview).
This developing crisis will be yet another opportunity for Swires to asset-strip CX and make off with untold billion$, unhindered by that nuisance, the law.
Hold on folks, this is going to be a bumpy ride.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 19:03
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Sadly, my guess is that is exactly what they've done (again). You know that if they should have "zigged", they "zagged". Put money on it.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 19:06
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Just watching the US markets. Don't doubt that the world as we know it is changing. CX will certainly be changed right along with it. Considering useless upper management, political concerns, economic issues and a general falling of HK as a hub of importance, CX is doomed to a slow and inoxerable death. A colleague left 7 years ago for BA, and he told me he wanted to get out while the getting was good. Nailed it. (btw, he's a Captain there now, living in Surrey and loving life...and his wife and kids are even happier).

ps. forgot to mention their villa in Portugal they spend weekends/holidays at.

Last edited by Apple Tree Yard; 9th Mar 2020 at 19:47.
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Old 9th Mar 2020, 22:19
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Originally Posted by Slasher1
They might think themselves bright and have MBAs.

But what they ain’t got is a crystal ball that actually works.

No doubt there will be some scheme/scam to jettison and reduce costs.

But until then they’re stuck with contracts. Some of which are quite pricey when the engines are at idle.
Sadly, also in their models will be the crew’s reactions and the associated costs of dealing with them. They’ve had plenty of opportunity to collect this data since July 2001.
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Old 10th Mar 2020, 00:24
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Anybody who thinks that ANY offer from management will be desirable in its details really need their head examined. I don't doubt there will likely be an offer, but it will certainly be one that only attracts the desperate. Anyone that thinks it will represent a retirement plan is really in need of help.
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Old 10th Mar 2020, 00:35
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Originally Posted by Apple Tree Yard
Anybody who thinks that ANY offer from management will be desirable in its details really need their head examined. I don't doubt there will likely be an offer, but it will certainly be one that only attracts the desperate. Anyone that thinks it will represent a retirement plan is really in need of help.
Then they can follow the contract with redundancies and pay protection. Or else wind up both in court AND arbitration. Not to mention this takes the threat of base closure away in that you couldn’t shut a base (or threaten such) in a deliberate scheme/scam to avoid contractural responsibilities and obligations. That is fraud.
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Old 10th Mar 2020, 00:47
  #35 (permalink)  
 
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I was only speaking of a possible early voluntary redundancy scheme. Used about 22 years ago to shed many high cost pilots. Probably a good time to do the same, but it won't be on very desirable terms. And btw, they can close any base they want at any time. Don't fool yourself otherwise.
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Old 10th Mar 2020, 01:03
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Originally Posted by herewego75
Stop trying to spread the fear!
All you people on this forum are worse than the media!
CX will be fine! They have lots of money and the share holders need to pay up, and if not sell their shares!
Yes there might be redundancies and it will be last in first out. But I know paying people houses off in HK are probably not helping the company, or those apartments in the four seasons.
shareholders have limited liability- they don’t need to pay up anything.
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Old 10th Mar 2020, 03:11
  #37 (permalink)  
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Korean Air CEO tells employees virus is 'threat' to airline's survival
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Old 11th Mar 2020, 01:18
  #38 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Slasher1
Then they can follow the contract with redundancies and pay protection. Or else wind up both in court AND arbitration. Not to mention this takes the threat of base closure away in that you couldn’t shut a base (or threaten such) in a deliberate scheme/scam to avoid contractural responsibilities and obligations. That is fraud.
Who will fund the long court cases with many protracted appeals.? I would doubt the cohort of “ambitious” new joiners would be too keen.

You can be sure the costs of legal manoeuvring have been included in their strategy as will their estimation of pilot solidarity. July 2001 was a watershed moment.
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Old 11th Mar 2020, 11:54
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Originally Posted by lucille
Who will fund the long court cases with many protracted appeals.? I would doubt the cohort of “ambitious” new joiners would be too keen.

You can be sure the costs of legal manoeuvring have been included in their strategy as will their estimation of pilot solidarity. July 2001 was a watershed moment.
Away from HKG, most contracts are adjudicated under arbitration which is relatively straightforward.

In the case of a court claim, in some more developed countries, these are usually funded on a contingency basis. So, in actuality, the company itself is funding the protracted legal battle against themselves when it is genuinely guilty of breaking a contractural provision and/or law.,
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Old 12th Mar 2020, 01:57
  #40 (permalink)  
 
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Redundancies

Originally Posted by Krone
If and when the inevitable happens, should senior A scalers fall on their swords ? Should senior B scalers take the opportunity to leave the company many despise, with a pocket full of cash, and a new life to look forward to ?
Or will it be a case of compulsory layoffs or furlough, from the bottom up? Unlikely, knowing CX.


USA, beginning Friday, will ban ALL flights to/From "Europe" ( not incl UK - yet?). Better hang on !!!!!
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