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Flight attendant strike hits Cathay Pacific

HONG KONG -- A strike by cabin attendants on Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag carrier, has resulted in flight cancellations and widespread delays, airline and union sources said Thursday.

Witnesses said there were minor scuffles at Kai Tak airport where rival union and management teams sought to persuade arriving flight attendents to either honor the stoppage or report to work.

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Cathay spokeswoman Nadia Stoyle said by late afternoon the airline had cancelled five outgoing flights and delays were encountered on many others.

The cancelled flights included two to Taiwan, two to Bangkok and one to Tokyo, she said, although many ticketed passengers on those flights were accomodated on other airlines or by combining destinations.

Wednesday night's scheduled flight to London was cancelled after flight attendants triggered the work stoppage by refusing to board. Cathay said 28 flight attendants who refused to work the London flight were given letters asking them to explain their actions. The flight finally left for London about noon Thursday.

The Wednesday night Cathay flight to Johannesburg also was affected but finally did leave, several hours behind schedule.

The flight attendants' work action was a result of a disagreement over conditions of service, primarily related to pay.

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