Hong Kong (RAE - China) - Cathay Pacific terminates union recognition agreement

On 15 July 2020, Cathay Pacific informed the HK Aircrew Officers’ Association (AOA) to terminate the trade union recognition agreement and collective bargaining tradition (CX letter to AOA). On 22 October, Cathay announced the closure of Cathay Dragon (the Hong Kong specific airline branch) and the resulting retrenchment and dismissal of 7,346 cabin crew and 2,613 pilots under the group. Staff were forced to enter into cheaper employment contracts, with their salaries being slashed by 40-60%. Cathay unilaterally ceased the collective bargaining tradition with the AOA and the Flight Attendants’ Union, calling collective bargaining a “1970 old-fashioned practice’’. The Hong Kong government has been refusing to legislate on collective bargaining and has provided no safeguard against job slashes and termination of collective bargaining by Cathay, which benefited from the government’s HK$3.60 million bailout given in June.