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Words, Words,
Words |
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This week's
topic: Industrial action by Cathay Pacific Staff |
7th January 1999
In this section we take a look at some of the
language used in a recent news report. This week, the flight
attendants of Hong Kong based airline Cathay Pacific are threatening
to stop smiling at passengers. Extracts are from a report by BBC
Correspondent, Jill McGivering.
Extract 1: Jill McGivering
"The flight attendant's union
is looking for new ways of increasing pressure on the airline's
management because the two sides have failed to reach agreement
on proposed new terms after several months of negotiations.
Some flight attendants began on Tuesday to wear protest badges on
their uniforms. Now union leaders say the next step could be a
campaign to stop smiling at passengers for one hour each flight as a
sign of their discontent. The union's chairman told the BBC the action
would be a way of expressing their feelings without resorting to strike
action."
flight attendant: a person who
serves food and drink on an aeroplane. Also known as cabin crew
or air stewardess ( female ) orair steward
( male )
failed to reach agreement: a
common way in 'news English' to say 'did not agree', particularly at
the end of long negotiations
negotiations: formal
discussions to talk about a problem and find a solution
union: short for trade
union, a workers' organisation that tries to improve such things
as the pay and working conditions of its members
strike:
when there is a strike, workers stop working for a period of time to
try and get better pay or conditions
Extract 2: Jill McGivering
"Cathay Pacific has presented its staff
with three options: either they work an extra four hours a
week in return for a three and half per cent pay rise, accept
a pay freeze, or take voluntary redundancy. A
spokesman for the airline said the passengers were innocent in the
issue and she hoped the staff would be more sensible than to take
industrial action. In the present economic climate, she
added, the airline had no choice but to look at ways of managing
costs."
options: choices, alternatives
a pay rise: an increase in the
money received for a job
a pay freeze: a stop on any
pay increases for workers for a period of time
voluntary redundancy: if an
employee takes voluntary redundancy, they offer to leave their job
because the employer needs to reduce costs. Often someone who
volunteers to leave their job in this way is paid a lump sum of money
to take industrial action:
when a group of workers take industrial action they stop working or do
something to protest about their pay or working conditions. See
'strike' above
economic climate: the economic
situation at the time
This week's "Words, Words,
Words" is written by Keith Ricketts |
