Hong Kong Airlines employees demand answers, transparency after embattled carrier makes 160 redundant in cost-saving move
- Laid-off staff complain they cannot access company profiles, where salary and overtime information is stored, union representative says
- Fears that severance package formula will not include flying time – a factor that often doubles wages – unfounded, according to airline
Hong Kong Airlines employees made redundant this week are demanding transparency and fair severance packages in the wake of the troubled airline’s decision to dismiss more than 160 people in a cost-cutting move.
Nearly 80 airline staff members attended closed-door sessions with company representatives on Thursday to get details of the lay-offs and their expected payouts.
The company, which earlier this month said it planned to eliminate 400 jobs, notified employees on Wednesday that they would be made redundant after the airline’s “recent review of its operational requirements”.
This came as a Bloomberg report suggested the airline’s parent company, HNA Group, could be taken over by the mainland authority, which is likely to sell off its airline assets. HNA currently holds a number of carriers, including Hainan Airlines.
Carol Ng Man-yee, chairwoman of the Confederation of Trade Unions, said the one-month notice to Hong Kong Airlines’ employees would mean their lay-offs come into effect next month.
There were also concerns over how severance payouts would be calculated, with many believing they would take into account base salary only, she said.
