《TAIPEI TIMES》 EVA Airways flight attendants prepare to end strike

By Ann Maxon / Staff reporter

The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday began returning passports and other documents to its members, as flight attendants prepare to end the strike tomorrow.

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According to an agreement reached between EVA Airways and the union on Saturday evening, the strike is to officially end tomorrow evening.

The union has the passports, China travel permits and employee identification cards of 2,060 EVA Airways flight attendants, the union said yesterday.

Members began picking up their identification documents yesterday at a booth that the union set up outside EVA Airways headquarters in Taoyuan’s Nankan （南崁）, union representative Ting Shao-ming （丁紹明） said.

Members have to pick up the documents in person by tomorrow and if they cannot show up on one of the pickup days, the union would safeguard the documents for them, she said.

The flight attendants could return to working EVA Air flights starting on Wednesday, she said, adding that individual work shifts would be determined by the airline.

“After a 17-day strike, everyone is exhausted,” Ting said.

“I am sure that union members, airline management and passengers all hope to see the strike end as soon as possible, and I am glad that the company eventually showed the willingness to cooperate and reached a deal with the union,” she said.

The union would do its best to quickly return the identification documents to members so that they could return to work, she added.

Asked if she was dissatisfied with the strike’s results — as the airline could cut flight attendants’ year-end bonuses if the strike led to reduced profit for the company — Ting said that companies are legally required to pay bonuses if they make a profit.

“At this moment, we will not make assumptions about the bonuses that the company might pay out,” Ting added.

Asked how much the airline might make this year, Ting said that airline management would hopefully not place all the blame on the union.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES