Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific was Tuesday
facing a potential 13-million-US-dollar payout to cabin crew after losing a
court case over unpaid holiday pay, dpa
reported.
Three flight attendants won a test case at a Labour Tribunal hearing which said
they were entitled to a total of 14,000 US dollars in additional holiday pay
from 2002 to 2008.
Another 4,000 similar claims are now pending which if won could lead to a
combined total of more than 13 million US dollars, according to the territory's
Flight Attendants Union.
At the tribunal hearing Monday, officials ruled that Cathay Pacific should give
additional allowances in holiday pay to cabin crew to cover the time spent at
overseas ports.
Cathay Pacific said after the hearing it intended to take the case to a higher
court to contest the finding and said any future claims would also be
contested.
The tribunal defeat comes at a time when the flagship Hong Kong airline is
struggling with falling revenues, lower passenger numbers and heavy losses on
fuel hedging in 2007.
Cathay Pacific carried 23.5 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo in
2007.
...