MOTC Scrambling as EVA Air Strike Looms|長榮空服員罷工投票 交部會資方擬策因應
M. Chuang
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The Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union held a vote on whether to strike on May 13. With regards to the possibility of EVA Air flight attendants going on strike, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said it is still trying to close the distance between what management and labor want and it already met with the union last week to understand its demands. The ministry said it will try to schedule a meeting with EVA this week. It also said for the worst-case scenario, it has already asked China Airlines to transfer EVA passengers to in the hopes of lowering the impact on travelers.
With a flight attendants strike looming on the horizon, EVA's reservation rate has plummeted in May. If the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union votes to strike, the strike could start any time after June 6 and affect Dragon Boat Festival and summer holiday travelers. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has asked China Airlines to operate additional flights so EVA passengers can be transferred to China Airlines flights if the strike takes place.
We have already asked China Airlines to be on standby. Some other members of their Star Alliance will also help. Although (EVA Air)'s vote to strike starts today -- if at any point a consensus is reached, we hope (the strike) can be suspended at any time.
Tension is running high between EVA labor and capital. The ministry says it met with union officials last week and hopes to meet with EVA officials this week, and it is confident it can help bridge the gap between the two sides and prevent a strike. Meanwhile, the Taipei Association of Travel Agents says summer is peak travel season and tour groups purchased their seats long ago. As Taiwan doesn't have a strike notice period, however, travel agencies can only go with the flow.
When we receive notification (of a strike), we immediately send out the information. Of course, in certain special circumstances we ask them to go through the association and we explore the best ways to help them deal with the situation. If passengers can be transferred to other airlines, it's not too much of a problem.
The association says based on China Airlines' flight attendant and pilot strikes in the past, all it can do is notify members of a strike as soon as it starts and help transfer passengers to other airlines. The association also says unlike Europe, Taiwan does not have alternate modes of transportation available during airline strikes. As a result, business travelers are stranded on the island and tourists can't get in. The association says this is extremely damaging to Taiwan and the government should intervene as soon as possible to prevent the strike.
With a flight attendants strike looming on the horizon, EVA's reservation rate has plummeted in May. If the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union votes to strike, the strike could start any time after June 6 and affect Dragon Boat Festival and summer holiday travelers. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has asked China Airlines to operate additional flights so EVA passengers can be transferred to China Airlines flights if the strike takes place.
We have already asked China Airlines to be on standby. Some other members of their Star Alliance will also help. Although (EVA Air)'s vote to strike starts today -- if at any point a consensus is reached, we hope (the strike) can be suspended at any time.
Tension is running high between EVA labor and capital. The ministry says it met with union officials last week and hopes to meet with EVA officials this week, and it is confident it can help bridge the gap between the two sides and prevent a strike. Meanwhile, the Taipei Association of Travel Agents says summer is peak travel season and tour groups purchased their seats long ago. As Taiwan doesn't have a strike notice period, however, travel agencies can only go with the flow.
When we receive notification (of a strike), we immediately send out the information. Of course, in certain special circumstances we ask them to go through the association and we explore the best ways to help them deal with the situation. If passengers can be transferred to other airlines, it's not too much of a problem.
The association says based on China Airlines' flight attendant and pilot strikes in the past, all it can do is notify members of a strike as soon as it starts and help transfer passengers to other airlines. The association also says unlike Europe, Taiwan does not have alternate modes of transportation available during airline strikes. As a result, business travelers are stranded on the island and tourists can't get in. The association says this is extremely damaging to Taiwan and the government should intervene as soon as possible to prevent the strike.
受到長榮空服員醞釀罷工影響，長榮航空證實，五月分訂位率明顯下滑，而交通部已開始研擬備案，一旦工會取得罷工權，六月六日後隨時可能罷工，首當其衝的端午節連續假期，和暑假旅遊旺季，都是可能的罷工時段，交通部已經協調華航，提出加班次和支援簽轉的方案。
交通部次長 王國材表示：「華航已經有通知他待命了，然後他們的星空聯盟裡面的一些他們的成員，也會互相支援，雖然他們(長榮)今天開始罷工投票，但是如果在中間達到共識，這個我們希望說隨時可以停。」
儘管罷工投票進行中，長榮勞資關係緊張，但交通部表示，上週已了解工會訴求，這週交通部將會再找長榮來開會，有信心可以縮小勞資意見的差距，努力以不罷工為目標來協調。旅行公會則表示，暑假旺季的旅行團機票早就開好了，因國內沒有罷工預告期規定，業界也只能隨機應變。
台北市旅行公會理書長 吳志健表示：「當我們收到這(罷工)訊息的時候，我們就做一個即刻新訊息的傳達，當然有一些比較特殊狀況，就請他們反映到公會我們再協商，用甚麼方式幫他們處理，事實上能簽轉的，就屬於航空公司在簽轉，就不會有太大的問題，」
旅行業公會表示，有過華航空服員和機師罷工的前例，公會只能在一旦罷工發生時，儘速傳遞消息給會員，協助旅客簽轉，公會也提醒，因台灣不像歐陸國家，航空公司罷工有其他運具可替代，台灣航空業罷工，商務客出不去、觀光客來不了，對國家是重創，希望政府能儘力協調，避免走到罷工。
