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Rebecca Sy says she demanded an explanation for her dismissal but managers would not give her a reason. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Sacked Cathay Dragon union leader says company asked about Facebook posts before firing her

  • Cathay Dragon union leader Rebecca Sy says she was questioned by bosses about three Facebook posts and then told she had been dismissed from her job as flight attendant
  • Airline’s parent company earlier warned employees that expressing support for protests on social media could breach rules of mainland aviation authority

An airline cabin crew union leader sacked from her job says Cathay Pacific management asked about her Facebook posts before dismissing her.

In the first account of her firing, Cathay Dragon union leader Rebecca Sy On-na said on Friday she was questioned by management on Wednesday about three Facebook posts, which she believed resulted in her dismissal as a flight attendant.
Sy’s sacking, revealed on Thursday, came days after the airline’s parent company Cathay Pacific Group warned employees that expressing support for ongoing protests in Hong Kong on social media could breach the rules of mainland China’s aviation authority.

The chairwoman of the 2,000-strong Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Flight Attendants’ Association was the latest of the 14 aviation professionals sacked or who had resigned after Beijing stepped up pressure on companies to take a stand against the anti-government movement sweeping the city.

“My colleagues feel depressed and sad. It is not just about the termination of my job. It is the whole issue – it’s terrifying because of this white terror,” a tearful Sy, employed for 17 years by the company, said at a press conference.

“I am so sorry I am no longer in a position to protect them, stand behind them, to back up my colleagues. But what I can do is, I can tell everyone what happened.”

Sy, who was given one month’s severance pay, said she was pulled from her Hangzhou work trip on Tuesday and asked by managers to attend a meeting the following day.

Cathay Pacific staff warned over social media use and protest support

At the meeting with two airline managers, Sy said she was shown three printouts of screenshots from Facebook, which she confirmed were from her account before being told she was fired.

Sy said she demanded an explanation for her dismissal and a manager replied: “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you the reasons.”

She said the first post queried by managers was a “happy birthday” to a colleague, while the second was a reference to her flying patterns, which she had shared so friends knew where she was “if something happened”.

The third was a post expressing her anger about the shock resignations of Cathay Pacific’s CEO and chief customer and commercial officer. But she had urged unity among colleagues because if the company collapsed, all employees would bear the consequences.

Sy did not show the Facebook posts at the press conference, but she said they did not criticise the government or police. She suspected that a colleague, current or former, passed on her private social media activity to management.

Compliance with mainland aviation regulator top priority for new Cathay chief

In response, the Cathay Pacific Group confirmed Sy was no longer an employee, but it did not explain why her employment was terminated, only saying she was not sacked because of her position or activities in the union.

“Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, when deciding whether to terminate an employee, we take into account all relevant circumstances including applicable regulatory requirements and the employee’s ability to perform his/her job,” a spokeswoman said.

Rebecca Sy (right), with Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions’ chairwoman Carol Ng Man-yee, tearfully explains how she was fired. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) two weeks ago cracked down on Cathay Pacific, banning its staff who joined unlawful protests in the city from flying into and over mainland airspace, among other measures.

Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg and one of his deputies, Paul Loo Kar-pui, later resigned.

The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions vowed to take legal action against Sy’s dismissal, and separately, in coordination with representatives of the aviation sector, would not rule out going on strike to protest against suppression of workers’ freedom of expression.

The Civil Aviation Department said it would not comment on personnel issues as its focus was on aviation safety while the Labour Department hoped all parties could resolve matters properly.

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