Cathay Pacific-cabin crew meeting at Labour Department results in zero concessions, as union legal action looms

The two sides sat down for 3½ hours on Wednesday, the deadline for flight attendants who survived recent layoffs to accept new salary-slashing contracts

The Flight Attendants Union, which failed to budge the carrier, is expected to sign a landmark deal later in the day to join forces with city’s pilots union

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The union representing Cathay Pacific’s flight attendants failed to make any headway with the airline on Wednesday. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 2:54pm, 4 Nov 2020Updated: 11:45pm, 4 Nov 2020

Unionised cabin crew at Cathay Pacific failed to secure any concessions from the loss-making airline after a 3½-hour meeting at Hong Kong’s Labour Department office on Wednesday.

The Flight Attendants Union (FAU) will now proceed with legal action to secure a better deal for the minority of 8,000 in-flight workers who refused to sign new, cheaper employment contracts by the morning deadline.

The meeting was the first time the Labour Department had mediated a sit-down between Cathay and FAU representatives since the flagship carrier announced 5,900 redundancies two weeks ago, and set the clock for remaining cabin and cockpit crew to accept new contracts or face the sack.

Zuki Wong (left), chairwoman of the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union, and Amber Suen, vice-chairwoman of the Flight Attendants Union meet with media. Photo: Winson Wong

In a bid to bolster the unionised workforce, the city’s pilots and cabin crew unions – both under intense pressure from the airline’s restructuring – signed a landmark agreement later on Wednesday to work more closely and pool resources.

Tad Hazelton, chairman of the 2,200-member Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA), said: “It’s a historical moment now that the two groups, because of our common circumstances, are going to go forward together from here on out, working on not just these circumstances, but any circumstances that face us in the future.”