Cathay Pacific Airways, a Hong Kong based airline operator, has reported averting the industrial action by its flight attendants that was announced earlier.
The airline, on completion of talks – mediated by the Labour Department of the country, between the company and the Flight Attendants Union (FAU) – reported that the outstanding differences between the parties have now been resolved.
The airline general manager for cabin crew, Liza Ng, said, ‘The agreement we reached today addresses issues important to the company and the crew. It is incumbent upon the company to always ensure its long-term success when discussing short-term issues. We were able to accomplish that today.’
Some of the agreement points included a commitment to offer all destinations to Hong Kong based crew; and out port based crew can merely operate on routes between out port bases.
The airline chief executive officer, John Slosar, said, ‘This is the best possible outcome for our customers, who have always been at the forefront of this issue for us. They can now look forward to their holiday travel plans with confidence.
This is a good agreement for the company. It allows us to expand our business here at home, bringing even more services to the people of Hong Kong. Specifically, we maintain the flexibility we need to offer what our customers want us to provide.
Beyond that, we were able to look after the interests of the broader cabin crew community in terms of addressing lifestyle issues, which is important because we must keep the interests of all staff at heart. And we have demonstrated that we will listen to staff concerns and respond with appropriate solutions.’
The airline currently offers flights between Hong Kong and destinations in the UK including London Heathrow, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, and New Castle.
