EVA Cabin Crew Return to Work

EVA Air flight attendants returned to work Saturday, ending the longest strike in Taiwanese aviation history following an agreement with management centering on work rules and bonuses. The deal ending the 17-day strike included bonus pay provisions, a section on worker arbitration, and scheduling improvements. In return, the flight attendants agreed not to stage another strike for at least three years and promised that any future walkouts would not affect domestic flights. EVA expressed what it called special thanks to cabin crew members who initially joined in the strike but came back to work before the labor action ended.

EVA said it will resume scheduled flights gradually through the end of July. Depending on the number of flight attendants able to work and passenger travel demands, EVA will make further adjustments to operations in August, it added.

TFAU, an external trade union under the Taoyuan Confederation of Trade Unions, launched the strike without providing prior notice. The disruption affected some 300,000 passengers. Although the strike has ended, EVA said it continues to urge government action on its “concerns” over future work actions.

EVA said it supports a recent proposal by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications that would require advance strike notice in the airline industry. “Over the past three years, external trade unions have launched three labor actions against airlines in Taiwan,” EVA said in a written statement. “Each of these strikes has caused widespread disruptions for thousands of passengers and the general public. EVA urges the government to amend laws so that such incidents can be prevented from happening again and to protect the local economy.”