Airline News
Cathay averts crew strike
June 8th 2015
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways has struck a deal with its 6,300 unionized cabin crew, thereby averting a planned 24-hour strike during the peak summer holiday season. Read More » The agreement, signed last week, mandates Cathay to restore pay and benefits to crew who had finished their initial three-year training contracts. Those who signed permanent contracts before April 2 had been awarded a pay increase from HK$144.70 ($18.66) to HK$176.80 per hour of flight, while those who signed after April 16 had seen their hourly wages increase to HK$159.30 only. Under the new deal, all junior cabin crew will be paid the higher rate, including backdated pay from the time of signing their new contracts. In addition, the crew meal allowance for Melbourne, another highly-contested issue, will be reversed from A$35 ($27) to A$60.
“I wouldn’t claim it as a victory,” said union chairwoman, Dora Lai, “we are getting back what we deserve and what we’re supposed to have”. She added that Cathay’s management under the leadership of its chief, Ivan Chu, “should learn [from the dispute] and start to build trust and constructive dialogue in the future.”
