China Airlines to Face Second Strike in Less Than a Week

The Chinese carrier’s workers are threatening to go on strike again this Friday, if their conditions are not met.

China Airlines may be looking at a second strike in less than a week, The China Post reports. Their Labor Union is encouraging members to go on leave this Friday following negotiations with the airline’s new chairman, Ho Nuan-hsuan, this Monday.

The China Airlines Employees Union has over 10,000 members, both ground and flight staff, and they are trying to get similar benefits that the flight crew got last week, following a strike. The action, taken by flight attendants this past Friday, affected 20,000 passengers in Taipei and Taoyuan, as it paralyzed most of the airline’s flights. They were seeking change in their work conditions and had all their demands met by the company.

Now the Union hopes to get the same benefits for ground staff and pilots. According to the The China Post, “their demands include raising the sum of pilots’ overseas allowance to the same level as flight attendants, incorporating commuting time into working hours and providing accommodation and transportation for employees stationed overseas, among others.”

According to local media, the airline’s chairman instructed China Airlines employees to wait two weeks before giving them a final answer, which caused even more outrage among employees. They criticize him for immediately conceding to the flight crew demands, but hesitating to meet the rest of the employees’ requests.

Meanwhile, employees of a subsidiary of China Airlines, called Mandarin Airlines, are also threatening to go on strike, if their demands are not met. They request the same pay rates as their counterparts at the parent company, stating they would not rule out going on strike if negotiations with the airline break down on July 7.

[Photo: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS]