Strike at Hong Kong's Airport Delays Flights

Filed in archive Destination: Asia & the Pacific on December 27, 2008

Talk about a nightmare in the making... Ground workers at Hong Kong International Airport went on strike for three hours earlier today. The short strike disrupted schedules and delayed 83 flights, according to a report on Channel News Asia.

Why the strike? Because:

The industrial action took place after Hong Kong Airport Services, one of the three companies providing ground services to the airport, refused on Saturday morning to drop their decision to scrap the annual performance-based bonus for their 3,000 staff which usually amounted to one month's salary.

Instead, the company said it would give the staff a one-off payment of only 750 Hong Kong dollars (96.2 US dollars).

The union says the company made a profit this year despite the recession, and they want their bonuses. The company has agreed to come up with about half what they've paid out in the past. The union has agreed not to strike again until after negotiations start up again on January 5th. But flights into Hong Kong after that might be risky...


Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 4230788