Negotiations between EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) and the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union broke down again yesterday, paving the way for a potential strike.
“We will hold a general assembly on Friday for the union members to vote on whether to talk with EVA or to strike,” Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union secretary-general Cheng Ya-ling (鄭雅菱) told the Taipei Times by telephone.
Based on the union’s records, it will likely to take a few weeks for it to obtain authorization to organize a strike.
The two parties, which had met twice before, gathered in Taoyuan under the supervision of the Taoyuan City Government, but failed to reach an agreement after a six-hour meeting.
The union has made extensive concessions, including reducing its requests from 12 items to four. The four core issues are: flight adjustments, increases in per diem rates, the nomination of labor representatives on the board and a “no free ride” proposal, which would prohibit non-union attendants from receiving the same improved conditions as union members.
EVA failed to give satisfactory responses to all those issues, Cheng said.
At first, the union requested that EVA improve attendants’ working conditions on 21 routes, but the union cut the number substantially to two — the routes from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Tokyo and Beijing, Cheng said.
“As attendants’ working hours usually exceed 12 hours when flying the two routes, we urge EVA to allow attendants to stay over to rest, instead of flying back directly,” Cheng said.
EVA said that it had proposed the implementation of fixed flight schedules, but the union’s representatives would not agree to it.
Its proposals included allowing attendants to stay over in certain months during bad weather conditions and to adopt fixed schedules, the airline told a news conference in Taipei.
Union workers would not have to worry that the proposed flight schedule changes would mean a reduction in wages, EVA said.
Attendants would still be paid between NT$66,000 and NT$89,000 (US$2,140 and US$2,885) per month when working 10 days on and 20 days off, as their flying hours would still total 70, said Milly Fung (馮美莉) deputy vice president of EVA’s cabin crew division.
The airline refused to increase the per diem rate to US$5 per hour, to match China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 中華航空), from the current US$3 per hour, saying that the pay was already enough to cover attendants’ expenses abroad.
The per diem rates of most international airlines are similar to EVA’s, with United Airlines and American Airlines paying even less, Fung said.
EVA proposed distributing a monthly bonus of NT$1,500 to NT$2,500 to each of the union’s attendants, said Shine Hsu (許平), deputy vice president of EVA’s human resources division.
As for the union’s “no free ride proposal,” EVA would not accept it, as it would cause conflict between employees, Hsu said.
“However, we are willing to donate NT$1 million per year to support the union — for its administrative fees or rental fees — to prove that we want to collaborate,” Hsu said.
EVA said that it hoped the union would continue to negotiate as it is willing to adjust its proposed changes.
“We hope we can resolve the disputes and find solutions,” Hsu said.
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