CAL flight attendants stage protest for higher overseas subsidies

Around 300 union-affiliated China Airlines (CAL) flight attendants staged a protest at the company's Taipei branch office Friday, demanding that their employer raise their overseas subsidies, as a punitive measure for violating an agreement reached in June.

On June 24, CAL management reached a seven-point agreement with the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union, which represents CAL flight attendants, after around 1,500 of the carrier's flight attendants who are members of the union went on strike for better pay and working conditions.

Under the agreement, the subsidy for flight attendants on duty overseas would be raised to US$4 per hour from July 1 and to US$5 from May 1, 2017. The subsidy hikes would apply to union members only, however.

According to the union, CAL management has violated the agreement by also increasing the subsidy for flight attendants who are not members of the union. It is now demanding that the CAL increase the subsidy for union members to US$6 per hour.

Lin Chia-wei (???), the union's secretary-general, said CAL has lost its credibility after breaking its promises again and again.

Unless CAL responds positively to the union's demand, flight attendants from the union will not rule out the possibility of staging a second strike, she said.

In response, CAL released a statement saying that it has been honest in the agreement and deploring what it described as "irrational behavior" by the union members.

CAL said it will take legal action to protect the rights of all its employees.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel