Cathay Pacific pilots threaten strike

Cathay Pacific Airways passengers could face the prospect of disruptions to their year-end travel, as pilots threatened to possibly strike if the airline unilaterally reduced their pay packages as part of cost-saving measures, the pilots’ union said Thursday. Pilots will vote from December 13 to 27 on the option to take action, with results known on December 29 but they could strike “anytime” from December 14. Talks to reduce pilot costs at the loss-making Cathay Pacific, which is looking to save HK$4b in costs by 2019, stalled last Thursday as managers and pilots failed to see eye to eye over cuts to pay, housing benefits and pensions. The airline’s suggested cuts to cockpit crew costs would save the airline HK$1b and support wider restructuring efforts. Pilots are being targeted as almost half of the company’s HK$19.7b spending on staff costs last year was on its more than 3,000 pilots, who represent 14.6% of the 26,670-strong workforce. Sources at the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, which represents 80% of Cathay Pacific’s 3,000 pilots, said they did not want to strike, but would do so if the company forced through cuts without the agreement of pilots. Pilots had proposed their own version of cuts, with these reversed if the airline returned to a “healthy” profit at some point. Both sides have until Christmas to agree to a new deal or risk a no-deal post-deadline scenario, the consequences of which are still unknown.<br/>