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flight attendants have been
sacked during the past several
months while they were the
backbone of the aviation safety.
Jeremy Tam Man-ho, a mem-
ber of the Legislative Coun-
cil and former pilot, resigned
from Cathay Pacific Airways
on August 20, ending his 18-
year career. As a legislator from
the pro-democracy camp, Tam
says his ties with the company
had resulted in attacks from
the pro-Beijing camp targeting
the airline. He hopes his resig-
nation could help protect the
airline from unjust accusation
and bring an end to the political
gales the aviation industry had
Hong Kong protesters staged a three-day sit-in at the airport in August. got caught in.
The pro-democracy lawmak-
changes. Ng recollects that as soon as the clock struck mid- er observes loopholes in the current law which fails
night, messages from chat groups formed by aviation work- to protect the rights of the Cathay employees who
ers started popping up on her phone. Ng, a former British have been sacked for their speech on social media.
Airways flight attendant, says that by 2 a.m. that morning, Under Hong Kong’s Employment Ordinance, if
almost half of the airport workers who were supposed to an employee is dismissed other than for substantial
report to duty on that day had called in sick. “Even before reasons, he or she can claim for re-
the rally started, we already knew that the airport employees instatement or re-engagement
had announced their victory ,” she says. against an employer for unrea-
Figures from HKCTU suggest that more than 2,300 avia- sonable dismissal. The Labour
tion employees joined the strike, leading to cancellation of Tribunal will issue a reinstate-
224 flights to and from the international transportation hub. ment or re-engagement order
Ng says on a normal working day, about 3,200 employees if the Tribunal considers that
work at Cathay Pacific and 900 work at Cathay Dragon. She it is appropriate and practicable.
believes that about 1,200 Cathay Pacific workers and 590 Ca- The employer shall pay to the Jeremy Tam
thay Dragon staff did not go to work on August 5. Cathay employee a further sum, amount- Man-ho
chairman John Slosar said the company respected its staff’s ing to three times the employee’s
opinions at a press conference on August 7. average monthly wages and subject to a ceiling of
“They eventually got on the Chinese Communist Party’s HKD$72,500, if he or she refuses to execute the or-
nerves,” says Ng. Days after the biggest strike in Hong Kong der.
in decades, Cathay Pacific, the most high-profile corporate In 2018, the Legislative Council vetoed the
in the movement, fell victim to Beijing’s pressure on Hong amendments proposed by Labour Party lawmaker
Kong’s businesses. After the CAAC released its directive on Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung who sought to raise
August 9, the company’s chief operating officer Rupert Hogg the remedy to six times the employee’s average
and chief customer & commercial officer Paul Loo Kar-pui monthly wages and lift the ceiling. Cheung criti-
stepped down and more employees who claimed that they cised that employers only needed to pay a very low
got fired because they supported the protests. price for rooting out a thorn in their flesh.
Ng thinks the practice of placing staff’s political values “We urge the people to increase the penalty,”
above their professionalism is dangerous. Ng says if em- Tam says. “But in the Legislative Council, the ma-
ployers only hire people who are loyal to Beijing, they may jority [of councillors] are pro-Beijing. They just don’t
place less emphasis on candidates’ professional knowledge. want to increase the penalty to protect our employ-
“It concerns safety issues and maintenance of professional ees in Hong Kong.” Tam also points out that the lack
standards,” she adds. Ng says many experienced pilots and of collective bargaining rights is another factor that