The ongoing strike by flight attendants at Taiwanese carrier Eva Air will continue after negotiations with the airline’s management collapsed.
The two sides failed to arrive at a deal on June 29 and will resume talks on July 2, the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union (TFAU) said.
The union went on strike June 20 after negotiations went south.
The TFAU staged the mass action to highlight longstanding disputes over alleged poor management and working conditions, and issued a list of demands ranging from higher allowances and better working hours to the inclusion of union representatives on the airline’s board.
Two weeks before the protest, the 4,000-strong union voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action.
Late last week, there were reports of a possible resolution as the labor union showed willingness to adjust its stance on key issues prior to the resumption of talks on June 28.
The TFAU had expressed willingness to negotiate on three key sticking points: an increase in hourly flight allowances, the inclusion of an independent director on the airline’s board, and the so-called “free ride” clause that prevents non-union members from receiving higher daily allowances.
But while union members from June 28 to June 29 voted favorably on the agreement presented by EVA Air, union officials issued a statement later on June 29 that they had rejected the final accord over the issue of punitive action against the flight attendants who joined the mass protest.
Eva Air said the strike is seen to cause the cancellation of almost 2,000 flights by July 12, and to impact hundreds of thousands of passengers and cause the airline heavy losses.
The cabin crew strike is the latest in a series of labor disputes between union members and Taiwan’s two largest carriers. In February, more than 600 China Airlines pilots staged a walkout over longstanding disputes surrounding working hours and labor-law violations, returning to work after seven days when the two sides reached a consensus on the majority of worker demands. The airline had to cancel more than 200 flights, resulting in millions in losses.
Photo: 湯小沅 from 台北市
