On Thursday’s Backchat we’re talking about the sacking of Cathay cabin crew who were apparently caught on tape disparaging a mainland passenger. An audio clip that has sparked outrage on mainland social media contains what seems to be a conversation between cabin crew poking fun at a passenger who asked for a 'carpet' instead of a 'blanket' in English. The airline has repeatedly apologised for the incident, and swiftly sacked three staff members. Chief Executive John Lee has expressed dismay at the apparent discrimination -- saying the incident was 'vile', and that it has damaged Hong Kong's reputation for being respectful, courteous and inclusive. Is bias and discrimination a widespread problem in the service industry? Or is this an isolated case? How welcoming is our service industry to our guests and customers? After 9:45, we’ll talk about the Cheung Chau Bun Festival that will take place on Friday. Let us know what you think. You can leave a message here on our Facebook page, email us at backchat@rthk.hk, or give us a call on 23388266.

9:00am-9:45am: Alleged discrimination on a Hong Kong-bound flight

9:00am-9:15am: Ricky Chu, Chairperson, Equal Opportunities Commission 
9:15am-9:30am: Sunny Lam, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Social Science, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
9:30am-9:45am: Luwei Rose Luqui, Associate Professor and Associate Head, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University
9:30am-9:45am: Becky Kwan, Former Chairwoman of the Hong Kong airline's Flight Attendant Union

9:45am-10:00am: Cheung Chau Bun Festival

9:45am-10:00am: Robert O'Brien, Cheung Chau-based artist and Owner of O'Brien Studio