Cathay Dragon staff urge halting mainland flights

Employees of Cathay Dragon have urged the company to suspend mainland China flights and are considering strikes or protests to press their demands. Staff of the Cathay Pacific Airways unit gathered Saturday for an extraordinary general meeting where about 89% out of 467 votes supported “industrial action,” said Kim Lam, a representative of the Cathay Dragon’s Flight Attendants Association executive committee. Protests and strikes are among options to be discussed in the future, he said. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship airline, has asked employees to take three weeks’ unpaid leave to preserve cash. The call for collective action by Cathay Dragon staff follows a strike by medical personnel this week to demand more protection against the coronavirus outbreak. Cathay Dragon still operates flights in four mainland cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen and Chengdu. Cathay Pacific CEO Augustus Tang said he was disappointed about the possibility of a strike at the unit, and said the action would be “disruptive and unfair,” the Hong Kong Economic Times reported.<br/>