Bumpy ride ahead as Cathay Pacific pilots prepare to start industrial action
Airline calls union's decision 'unproductive' and says it will strive to operate flights as scheduled
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 03 December, 2014, 5:17pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 04 December, 2014, 4:13am
Phila Siu [email protected]
Cathay Pacific pilots have decided to press ahead with industrial action. Photo: AFP
Cathay Pacific's pilot's union has decided to press ahead with work-to-rule action today over a long-standing pay dispute.
Pilots said the action, the first since 2001, would lead to flight delays and cancellations because the airline had such a shortage of staff that it was "operating at maximum capacity".
But they believed the impact of their action would only be felt after a few days.
"It is unfortunate that a year of negotiations has brought us to this point," said Chris Beebe, general secretary of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA), which represents 2,100 of the airline's 2,900 pilots.
Beebe said 1,700 to 1,800 pilots from bases in Hong Kong, New Zealand and the US would take part in the action.
In September the airline offered Hong Kong-based crew increases of 4 per cent this year, 3 per cent next year and 3 per cent in 2016.
Frustrated pilots last month voted overwhelmingly to work to rule, also called contract compliance. Of those who voted, 93 per cent opted for the action, which would mean pilots would only do the bare minimum required under their contracts.
For example, they would refuse to work on rostered days off. They would also not report for duty 10 to 20 minutes before the reporting time as they usually do. This could lead to delays.
"The pilot shortage has always been serious. Some are called to work twice a month on their rostered days off," one pilot said.
A Cathay spokesman said the airline was "extremely disappointed" at the decision, calling the action "uncalled for, unnecessary and unproductive".
"Cathay Pacific has little choice but to place discussions with the HKAOA on hold. It takes sincerity from both parties for any meaningful discussion to take place," he said. "We will do our best to make sure that we continue to operate our flight services as scheduled."
During the last work-to-rule action by Cathay pilots in July 2001, 51 staff were sacked. A month in, Cathay's chairman at the time, James Hughes-Hallett, said it had already cost the airline HK$350 million.
Last month the airline offered pilots a 4 per cent rise for this year, effective immediately, but made no mention of 2015 and 2016. A source close to the negotiations said the management tactic might undermine union support, as some pilots might think there was room for negotiation on pay in the coming two years.
The source said Cathay's attitude in previous rounds of negotiations was that "everything is fixed" and "not flexible".
Meanwhile, the airline's cabin crew union is demanding a pay rise of 8 per cent for next year. Union vice-chairman Julian Yau Chi-hung said talks with the airline had been going smoothly and that the two sides could reach consensus the week.
