14,000 at Hong Kong's two main airlines agree to take unpaid leave

Around 14,000 staff at Hong Kong airlines Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have agreed to take unpaid leave in response to a cost-cutting appeal, the sister airlines announced Friday. The response - amounting to some 70 per cent of the two airlines' global workforce - includes 77 per cent of Cathay Pacific flight attendants and 85 per cent of ground staff, the airlines said.
However, unpaid leave has been accepted by only 14 per cent of Cathay Pacific pilots, whose union remains locked in talks over the scheme which in their case has been linked to an increase in retirement age from 55 to 65. At Dragonair, the response was stronger with 55 per cent of pilots and around 80 per cent of ground staff and cabin crew consenting to unpaid leave by noon yesterday, the statement said.