Union Urges Cathay To Reinstate Acquitted Staff

A Cathay Pacific staff union has called on the airline to reinstate workers if they are cleared by the courts after being fired due to protest-related arrests.

The call comes after former flight attendant Kenny Ng was acquitted on Monday of obstructing the police, who accused him of blocking a water cannon with his car in November.

Zuki Wong, who chairs the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union, said Ng will not take any actions against his sacking.

But Wong urged the company to change its policies when it comes to employees being arrested, such as not terminating the employees immediately after they're arrested.

"It would be great if the company could wait for the court results or wait for a longer period, and maybe giving them paid leave or whatever to wait for the results, that would be better for the staff and of course for the company itself."

Ng was accused of blocking the police water cannon on November 12, when riot police stormed the Chinese University campus resulting in a standoff between police and student protesters, prompting calls online for people to block roads.

Ng's car had stopped straddling two lanes on Chong San Road in Tai Po, obstructing the water cannon, and video footage played in the courtroom showed Ng failing to respond to police warnings for all private cars to leave the area.

Principal magistrate Don So ruled that although Ng stopped his car intentionally, he was not given enough time to react to police instructions, as officers dragged him out of his car and shattered the car window seconds later.

Ng had pleaded not guilty to willfully obstructing officers in executing their duties.