In order to improve overworked flights, the Taoyuan City Pilots Professional Union announced without warning at 0:00 on the 8th a strike against Taiwan's China Airlines at 6 a.m., impacting Spring Festival transportation, involving flights from Songshan International Airport and Taoyuan International Airport , and flights departing from Kaohsiung International Airport.
This is the second strike among China Airlines’ cabin crew members since the flight attendant strike in 2016. It is also the first pilot strike in the history of Taiwan’s civil aviation. The
trade union requires that every member must hand in a "certificate" regardless of whether they are on duty, on vacation or on call. Cadres and members at each location will take turns supporting the collection of certificates 24 hours a day. Once the participating pilots hand in their "certificates", they will no longer be able to fly the aircraft, which is equivalent to a successful strike.
According to statistics, Songshan Airport has received more than 20 calibration certificates since 0:00 this morning. As the sky gets darker, pilots have also arrived at the scene to respond.
Pilots hand in "certificate"
"China Airlines" announced on its official website that the number of affected flights that were forced to be canceled continued to increase, from 26 flights in the first wave to 28 flights, including flights from Kaohsiung Manila , Hong Kong, and Taoyuan. Shizuoka, Haikou (according to the latest news released by China Airlines, CI523/524 Taoyuan Airport flights to and from Haikou will resume in the afternoon), Narita, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Ontario, Bangkok, Wuxi, Pudong, Beijing, Shenzhen, etc. China Airlines stated this morning that it has fully mobilized available manpower. Flights departing from Taoyuan Airport, Songshan Airport and Taichung Qingquangang Airport before 4 pm today will not be affected. However, 22 flights have been canceled today and tomorrow. The
pilot union issued a statement on the 7th, criticizing China Airlines for having no intention of negotiating with labor on issues such as overworked flights, threatening to "strike at any time," and finally announcing that communication had failed.
The strike demands put forward by the pilot union this time have five major items, including six points, including adding more manpower to overworked flights, making the co-pilot promotion and training system transparent, ensuring the recruitment and training of Taiwanese pilots, and prohibiting the fall of union members. The final settlement of accounts, as well as the rights and interests reached with the union are exclusive to members (no free-riding clause), the replacement of supervisors who undermine labor relations, and the 13th month full salary is guaranteed according to EVA Air and only members can enjoy it. Li Xinyan, chairman of the
union, said that 700 pilots will participate in this strike, which is expected to affect a total of 109 flights departing from Songshan, Taoyuan and Xiaogang airports at 6 a.m. Li Xinyan also said that the strike has no time limit.
The scope of the strike only targets flights departing from Taiwan, excluding flights returning to Taiwan from abroad, to avoid causing Chinese people to be stranded overseas and unable to return to the country, causing greater public dissatisfaction.
Passengers who wanted to take a China Airlines flight were queuing in front of the check-in counter and were very angry. "China Airlines" employees tried their best to explain to calm passengers, and arranged for passengers to change flights to other airlines or refund their tickets, but passengers still found it difficult to accept it.
A tourist said angrily that when the "Minister of Transportation" Lin Jialong of the Taiwan authorities took office, he didn't promise that the "land, sea and air" issues could be solved. What was the result?
Editor: Zhou Junchao
Editor: Ye Songting
