SCMP Updated at 1.44pm:
Cathay Pacific pilots voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to step up their industrial action in their long-running dispute over pay and work rosters.
Ninety two per cent of union members voted at an extraordinary general meeting in Tsim Sha Tsui to step up the action. They did not specify how they would do this and voted to let the union decide how and when to act.

Around 300 members attended the meeting with most members of the Aircrew Officers Association sending in their votes.
Union general secretary John Findlay said afterwards: ''The message we send to Cathay Pacific's management today is very clear. Despite their claims to the contrary, this dispute is not over. It will not be over until such time as we get round the negotiating table again and we reach an agreed negotiated settlement.
''We call on them (Cathay Pacific management) to get back to the negotiating table. Let's reach a negotiated settlement and let's get Cathay Pacific back to what it was - The best airline in the world to work for and the best airline in the world to fly with.''
Cathay Pacific has insisted it will not resume negotiations with the union until it calls off its industrial action, which currently constitutes an effective work-to-rule.
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EMAIL BLUNDER BY PILOTS REVEALS SICK-OUT TARGET
A pilots' union negotiator accidentally sent an e-mail to a Cathay Pacific negotiator describing the effect of sick days and the "target to aim for" - implying that sick-outs were used as an industrial weapon, according to the airline.
The e-mail, which was written by Aircrew Officers' Association general secretary John Findlay, was mistakenly forwarded by the union's Kerry Cranfield to her counterpart at Cathay, Nick Rhodes.

It talks about the problems Cathay had when 87 officers called in sick: "IOC [Integrated Operations Control] nearly imploded in trying to keep the operation going. So now we know the target to aim for."

Cathay director of corporate development Tony Tyler released the text of the e-mail yesterday, saying that it had been sent in February.

"Nick Rhodes wrote an e-mail to John Findlay to establish a timetable for talks," Mr Tyler said.

"John Findlay forwarded the e-mail to union members and it was mistakenly sent back to Nick by Kerry Cranfield."

However, Mr Findlay said the e-mail was meant to be lighthearted, after a previous conversation in which Mr Rhodes had hinted that the union had arranged for the 87 officers to call in sick.

"If it's such a big issue, why are they bringing it up now?" Mr Findlay said.

Mr Findlay said Captain Ken Barley, Cathay's director of flight operations, had written asking for an explanation of the e-mail and had been provided with the same reasoning, which was accepted.

But Mr Tyler said the company regarded the e-mail as "pretty serious". "We wrote to them after and said we deplore the use of sick-outs as an industrial weapon.

"They wrote back and said we deplore the use of e-mails, you shouldn't have, or something like that."

The message we send to Cathay Pacific's management today is very clear.

Yes, and the mesaage Cathay send to the pilots is also very clear, strike and get fired

I don't think there is much understanding for the pilot's attitudes, they have already caused enough trouble, do they really think Cathay will give in?

On a recent flight I asked the canadian captain of a CX airbus if he thought CX top management could fly his plane - he looked at me in amazement - of course not. I said -you have as much chance of beating them at their profession as they have flying this plane, which they own. Duuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh. Didn't strike home.
He said what we want is F class pax like you to go and fly with other airlines, then we will win. I said win what ? His main complaint was rostering that was messing up their private lives (between golf I guess). So I said, what about the pilots sitting in the hotel in XYZ city , and the cabin crew, waiting for your flight to arrive and it doesn't because you are 'sick'. So by being 'sick' they improve the waiting crew's private lives ?
Duuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Bye Bye biggles, go join someone else - if they'll have you when you get canned. I have lost all sympathy for this lot of whingeing overpaid hi-tech bus drivers.
Incredible - Playing roulette with their families' futures.