“Reuters” quoted the Cathay Pacific (0293) union as saying that Cathay Pacific’s pilots are striving to participate in Cathay Pacific’s restructuring negotiations and will publish newspaper advertisements to win public support.
Cathay Pacific will not apply for the second round of the employment guarantee program this month, which means it may lay off employees. Chris Beebe, Director General of the Air Crew Association (HKAOA) Hong Kong, said that if the airline makes some decisions that may affect the future of the pilot, the union hopes to ensure that it will participate in the relevant discussions. However, Chris Beebe declined to comment on whether the pilots would make more concessions on temporary pay cuts or unpaid leave plans. He pointed out that many Cathay Pacific pilots have participated in the company’s voluntary unpaid leave program. Chris Beebe also pointed out that the union will advertise in the South China Morning Post tomorrow to strive to participate in the future restructuring plan that Cathay Pacific will announce in the fourth quarter and start negotiations. The advertisement will focus on research commissioned by the Air Crew Association, in which most of the interviewees stated that they believe the union’s 2,200 members are essential to Hong Kong’s global reputation.
Cathay Pacific did not respond to related matters. The report also quoted several Cathay Pacific employees as saying that they are ready for unemployment.