China News Service, Taipei, February 11th (Reporter Chen Xiaoyuan and Kong Renyuan) On the 11th, on the fourth day of the China Airlines pilots' strike in Taiwan, representatives of both labor and management held a second negotiation. However, they failed to reach a consensus on how to improve fatigue flights. Breaking. China Airlines will cancel another 28 flights on the 12th.
The picture shows China Airlines General Manager Xie Shiqian (second from right) and other capital representatives holding a press conference to explain the negotiation status. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Xiaoyuan
The China Airlines branch of the Taoyuan City Pilots Professional Union launched a strike at 6 o'clock on the 8th because its demands for "improvement of additional manpower for fatigue flights" were not properly resolved by the company; on the 9th, the labor and management parties held talks and negotiations for more than 6 hours. Hours later, no consensus could be reached; on the 11th, labor and management negotiated again for about four hours but still failed to resolve their differences.
The picture shows Chen Beibei, executive director of the Taoyuan City Pilot Professional Union and China Airlines pilot, holding a press conference to explain the negotiations. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Xiaoyuan
After the negotiations broke down that night, representatives from both labor and management and the relevant person in charge of Taiwan’s transportation affairs department held press conferences to explain the situation.
Chen Beibei, executive director of the Taoyuan City Pilots Professional Union and a China Airlines pilot, said that the union has made concessions on how to increase manpower for fatigue flights, but it still cannot reach a consensus with the company.
China Airlines General Manager Xie Shiqian said that the union’s plan to improve fatigue flights will lead to a significant increase in the company’s labor costs, which the company cannot afford. The strike has caused a heavy setback to the company, and it is hoped that the striking pilots will return to work as soon as possible.
Taiwan's "Ministry of Transportation" Deputy Minister Wang Guocai said he was disappointed that the negotiations broke down and hoped that both labor and management would consider it carefully to avoid losing both sides.
According to reports, China Airlines has more than 1,300 pilots, of which about 900 are members of the China Airlines branch of the Taoyuan City Pilots Professional Union. As of the 11th, there were more than 600 pilots participating in the strike.
The strike caused dissatisfaction among some China Airlines ground staff and passengers. Since the 10th, ground staff who oppose the strike have come to Taiwan's "Ministry of Transportation" to express their demands. In order to avoid conflicts between strike supporters and opponents, the police set up iron railings outside the "Ministry of Transportation" to separate the two parties.
According to news released on the official website of China Airlines, China Airlines has canceled more than 80 flights from the 8th to the 11th, affecting tens of thousands of passengers. An additional 28 flights will be canceled on the 12th. (End)
