Repercussions of Airline Strike Continue|長榮開除郭姓空服員 工會擬提出申訴

The repercussions continue from the EVA Air flight attendant strike. On July 11, the airline fired a union member for her controversial words and actions. The union intends to appeal on the grounds of "improper labor ruling," and the Ministry of Labor will decide whether this dismissal was an attempt to settle accounts. Meanwhile, numerous female employees were subject to online abuse during the strike, showing misogyny is alive and well.


In 2016, EVA Air continued operating flights during Typhoon Megi, leading to questions about whether it valued flight safety. This incident became a starting point for the airline's employees to rally together and fight for their rights and benefits. In June, female employees launched the airline's first-ever flight attendant strike. Scholars noticed increased online abuse of women during the strike period, showing misogyny is alive and well in society and oppressing female workers.

There were very many misogynistic or demeaning views expressed during the strike period. The voice of society is actually overly moral, it used a very, very high moral standard to vilify women.

Following the end of the strike, a union member surnamed Kuo wrote a message on LINE saying she would add "extras" to airplane meals. EVA Air cited flight safety in dismissing this employee on July 11. The union intends to file an appeal on the grounds of "improper labor ruling" and allow the Ministry of Labor to determine whether the airline was trying to settle accounts. During the "Workshop of Advocacy for Asian Human Rights Court" hosted by the Taiwan Women's Center, attendees said many Asian legal systems overlook the issue of gender, and advised countries to establish an Asian human rights court and protect the equal rights of women.

Domestically, lawsuits may be filed against companies. There is a civil appeal between the two sides that we call management or company and individuals or employees or laborers. In a regional human rights court, the lawsuits involve individuals and countries.

Attendees added the economies of countries will suffer if women don't join the workforce and contribute to labor forces and emotional labor. Women should not be the subject of discrimination and it is important for them to get justice at home. Hopefully, Asia will follow the example of North America, Europe, and Africa and establish a biding human rights judicial mechanism.



長榮航空在2016年梅姬颱風硬飛事件，遭外界質疑罔顧飛安，此事件也促成員工團結爭取權益的起點。今年六月女性勞動者們，發動該公司的首次空服員罷工，但學者觀察，罷工期間，網路上針對女性的酸言酸語，也特別的多，突顯社會上的厭女情結，也對女性勞動者造成壓迫。

東吳大學 張佛權研究中心主任 陳瑤華表示：「在罷工期間有非常多厭女，或者是對她們詆毀言論，社會的聲音其實太從道德一個很高很高嚴峻的道德標準，去苛責女性。」

罷工結束後，工會幹部郭姓空服員，在LINE群組出現情緒性的語言，說要在飛機餐加料，長榮航空以重視飛安為由，以在11號決議將她開除。工會預計將提出「不當勞動裁決」申訴，讓勞動部認定，是否為秋後算帳。在台灣婦女館舉行的「倡議亞洲人權法院工作坊」指出，其實亞洲各國的法律體制，都忽略性別議題，建議各國政府設立亞洲人權法院，以保障女性平等權益。

中研院法律學研究員 廖福特表示：「在國內的話，他可能的訴訟是公司，我們稱為資方或公司，跟個人或是受雇者或是勞工，兩者之間是一種民事訴訟，那在一個區域型的人權法院，他其實是個人跟國家的訴訟。」

工作坊認為，如果沒有女性投入勞動市場，貢獻勞動力和情緒勞動，各國也無法撐起亮眼的經濟成績，但女性如果遭到不平等待遇，又無法在國內獲得伸張，期待亞洲能效仿美洲、歐洲、非洲成立有約束力的人權司法機制。