Cathay Pacific flight attendants threaten to withhold food, smiles
- Share via
Labor strife is common among airline workers, but flight attendants for Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific voted last week to try unusual tactics to push stalled salary negotiations.
The flight attendants, who demanded a 5% pay increase but instead were offered a 2% raise, were considering performing only their basic, safety-first responsibilities.
That means they could refrain from serving food and drinks, according to the union’s general secretary, Tsang Kwok-fung. Not only that, he said, they may also abstain from smiling at work.
“We will be selective in providing our services,” Tsang told the Sydney Morning Herald, adding that the dates and the types of job action have yet to be decided.
“This could include not smiling at passengers, not providing certain types of beverages -- such as alcohol -- or stop serving meals,” he said.
Also:
The next fee for fliers? It’s up in the air
Southwest Airlines announces new fees for bags, early check-in
New NerdWallet tool searches, compares fees among U.S. airlines
Follow Hugo Martin on Twitter at @hugomartin
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
